by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual reviewed 123 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of drama & theater arts. Combined, these schools handed out 1,611 master's degrees in drama & theater arts to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of drama & theater arts for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for drama & theater arts students working on their master's degree.
The theater school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It is hard to beat Yale University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Haven.
Master's students who receive their degree from the theater program earn an average of $33,280 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Yale University
University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Drama & Theater Arts master's degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of about $2,131 over the average income of drama & theater arts graduates.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of Southern California
New York University is a good choice for students pursuing a master's degree in drama & theater arts. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.
Master's recipients from the drama & theater arts major at New York University earn $13,699 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from New York University
Northwestern University is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Northwestern University
Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.
Students who graduate with their master's from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $31,068.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Columbia University in the City of New York
Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Pittsburgh.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Carnegie Mellon University
UCONN is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Storrs.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of Connecticut
Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.
Drama & Theater Arts master's degree recipients from University of California - San Diego receive an earnings boost of about $6,377 over the typical income of drama & theater arts graduates.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - San Diego
Juilliard is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.
Master's recipients from the drama & theater arts program at The Juilliard School make $16,693 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from The Juilliard School
Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Boston University
Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence.
Students who graduate with their master's from the theater program state that they receive average early career earnings of $22,550.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Brown University
UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Students who graduate with their master's from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $25,255.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Los Angeles
UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin.
Master's recipients from the drama & theater arts major at The University of Texas at Austin earn $2,065 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from The University of Texas at Austin
Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Irvine
Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Purdue University - Main Campus
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Loyola Marymount University
UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign.
After graduating, theater master's recipients typically earn about $32,304 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of Iowa
Here are some additional great schools for Drama & Theater Arts students that almost earned our Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Washington University in St Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
| 20 | Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA |
| 21 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| 22 | The Graduate Center, CUNY | New York, NY |
| 23 | Chapman University | Orange, CA |
| 24 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA |
| 25 | Emerson College | Boston, MA |
View the Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, Drama & Theater Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theater Arts | 832 |
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 333 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 162 |
| Acting | 158 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 63 |
| Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft | 43 |
| Musical Theater | 12 |
| Costume Design | 8 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Music | 5,778 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 2,984 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 1,931 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 1,610 |
| Arts & Media Management | 1,115 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 343 |
| Dance | 245 |
| Other Visual Art | 215 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 13 |
.jpg){kind=link}