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2025 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Plains States Region

18 Colleges in the Plains States Region
879 Theater Degrees Awarded
$22,179 Avg Early-Career Salary
Drama & Theater Arts is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #59 most popular degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 18 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 879 degrees in drama & theater arts annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Drama & Theater Arts School

Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of drama & theater arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Drama & Theater Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Drama & Theater Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Theater
Bachelor's Degrees in Theater
Master's Degrees in Theater
Doctor's Degrees in Theater

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Drama & Theater Arts in the Plains States Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the theater degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Theater

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Theater Degrees Awarded
15.7% Growth in Graduates

University of Iowa is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were about 51 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make an average of $22,225 for their early career.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of Iowa

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Theater Degrees Awarded
$19,982 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in drama & theater arts. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 57 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the theater program earn around $19,982 for their early career.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MN

Every student pursuing a degree in drama & theater arts needs to take a look at St Olaf College. Located in the distant town of Northfield, St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #301 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means St. Olaf is a great college overall.

There were approximately 14 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from St Olaf College

4
Webster crest
Webster University
Saint Louis, MO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Theater Degrees Awarded
5.7% Growth in Graduates

Webster University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in drama & theater arts. Webster is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #273 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Webster is a great university overall.

There were about 53 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Webster in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $13,182.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Webster University

5
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO

Located in the small city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 13th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were about 22 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Lindenwood University in the most recent year we have data available. Drama & Theater Arts degree recipients from Lindenwood University earn a boost of approximately $2,904 over the typical income of drama & theater arts majors.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Lindenwood University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$22,289 Median Starting Salary

UNI is a moderately-sized public university located in the small city of Cedar Falls. A Best Colleges rank of #270 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNI is a great university overall.

There were about 18 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theater program state that they receive average early career earnings of $22,289.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of Northern Iowa

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In MO

Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 16 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of Missouri - Columbia

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$21,627 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #207 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were about 23 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, theater degree recipients usually make around $21,627 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 Theater Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

Missouri State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Springfield. This university ranks 10th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 62 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the theater program state that they receive average early career wages of $22,369.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Missouri State University - Springfield

10
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KS

Located in the city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 28 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University of Kansas

Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best drama & theater arts schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 231
Missouri 283 289
Kansas 266 95
Iowa 264 160
Nebraska 238 104
North Dakota 210 9
South Dakota 204 32

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Drama & Theater Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Theater Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Theater Arts 594
Playwriting & Screenwriting 78
Musical Theater 52
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft 45
Acting 44
Theater Design & Technology 35
Directing & Theatrical Production 23
Costume Design 8

View All Theater Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Theater

Related Major Annual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts 2,451
Fine & Studio Arts 1,776
Music 1,331
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 497
General Visual & Performing Arts 364
Dance 110
Arts & Media Management 76
Other Visual Art 27

View All Theater Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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