2025 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in New York
36
Colleges in New York
3,142
Theater Degrees Awarded
$22,179
Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in
drama & theater arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #59 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 36 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in New York ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,142 degrees in drama & theater arts to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Drama & Theater Arts School
Your choice of drama & theater arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for drama & theater arts schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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
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 New York ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Drama & Theater Arts in New York
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the theater degree levels they offer.
10 Top New York Schools in Theater
New York University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in drama & theater arts. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 542 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Those drama & theater arts students who get their degree from New York University receive $2,890 more than the average theater student.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from New York University
It's difficult to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you want to pursue a degree in drama & theater arts. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were roughly 81 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the theater program make an average of $20,935 for their early career.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Columbia University in the City of New York
American Musical and Dramatic Academy is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the city of New York, American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
There were approximately 752 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at American Musical and Dramatic Academy in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, theater degree recipients generally earn an average of $17,387 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from American Musical and Dramatic Academy
American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York is a great option for students pursuing a degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large city of New York, American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
There were approximately 99 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make about $12,456 for their early career.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York
Located in the suburb of Purchase, Purchase College is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 53rd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were approximately 149 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Purchase College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the theater program make around $18,090 for their early career.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Purchase College
Located in the medium-sized city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.
There were approximately 61 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the theater program state that they receive average early career wages of $20,988.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Syracuse University
Located in the suburb of Ithaca, Ithaca is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ithaca is a great college overall.
There were approximately 65 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Ithaca 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 $18,243.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Ithaca College
Located in the large city of New York, MMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 35th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 99 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at MMC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the theater program report average early career income of $19,562.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from Marymount Manhattan College
Located in the city of New York, New School University is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #197 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means New School University is a great school overall.
There were about 98 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the theater program earn an average of $19,454 for their early career.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from The New School
University at Buffalo is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Buffalo. A Best Colleges rank of #171 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University at Buffalo is a great university overall.
There were roughly 33 drama & theater arts students who graduated with this degree at University at Buffalo in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the drama & theater arts degree program at University at Buffalo get $3,631 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in drama & theater arts from University at Buffalo
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