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2022 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts

866 Colleges in the United States
13,307 Bachelor's Degrees
$20,591 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in drama and theater arts, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #39 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 866 colleges and universities when compiling its 2022 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 13,307 bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Drama & Theater Arts School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts The theater bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. One of the reasons we created our Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts ranking is to help you make that choice.

Being popular does not always equate to overall quality, but a school with a large number of drama and theater arts students usually has them for a reason. This may be due to it being a great value, it offering a stellar educational experience, or the subject is a major focus of the school.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Associate Degrees in Theater
Master's Degrees in Theater
Doctor's Degrees in Theater
Overall Popularity in Theater

This ranking is just one of the many we have created. First of all, if you are interested in other degree levels, you may want to take a look at one of the rankings highlighted above. Also, if you are interested in attending school in a specific part of the country, see our rankings by location. On top of that, you can visit our other rankings for drama and theater arts.

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.

Below you'll see a list of the most popular colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in drama and 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.

25 Most Well Attended Schools for Theater Students Working on Their Bachelor's

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
427 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NY
#4 Best Quality In NY

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at New York University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in drama and theater arts. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in New York.

There were approximately 427 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the theater program earn around $21,700 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from New York University

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213 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In NY
#47 Best Quality In NY

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at American Musical and Dramatic Academy if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in drama and theater arts. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

There were approximately 213 drama and 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 bachelor's recipients generally earn around $16,000 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from American Musical and Dramatic Academy

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157 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IL
#15 Best Quality In IL

Columbia College Chicago is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in drama and theater arts. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

There were approximately 157 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make about $20,700 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Columbia College Chicago

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149 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In NY
#31 Best Quality In NY

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at Marymount Manhattan College if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in drama and theater arts. MMC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of New York.

There were about 149 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at MMC in the most recent year we have data available.

Those drama and theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Marymount Manhattan College earn $2,409 more than the average theater grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Marymount Manhattan College

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Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, NY
146 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#4 Most Popular In NY
#14 Best Quality In NY

Purchase College is a small public college located in the large suburb of Purchase.

There were about 146 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Purchase College in the most recent year we have data available.

Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Purchase College get an earnings boost of around $3,509 above the typical income of drama and theater arts majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Purchase College

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145 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CA
#2 Best Quality In CA

USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in California.

There were approximately 145 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program earn about $20,400 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from University of Southern California

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Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
143 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TX
#4 Best Quality In TX

Located in the small city of San Marcos, Texas State is a public university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in Texas.

There were roughly 143 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Texas State in the most recent data year.

Those drama and theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Texas State University receive $3,309 more than the typical theater graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Texas State University

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122 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In CA
#5 Best Quality In CA

Loyola Marymount is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in California.

There were roughly 122 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent year we have data available.

Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Loyola Marymount University get an earnings boost of approximately $5,609 above the average income of drama and theater arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Loyola Marymount University

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122 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In GA
#4 Best Quality In GA

SCAD is a fairly large private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Savannah. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in Georgia.

There were about 122 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at SCAD in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the theater program earn around $22,000 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Savannah College of Art and Design

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Emerson crest
Emerson College
Boston, MA
119 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MA
#5 Best Quality In MA

Located in the city of Boston, Emerson is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in Massachusetts.

There were about 119 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Emerson in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the theater program make about $22,200 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Emerson College

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112 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In CA
#45 Best Quality In CA

New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Burbank.

There were roughly 112 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at New York Film Academy in the most recent data year.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from New York Film Academy

12
107 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#4 Most Popular In CA
#14 Best Quality In CA

Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population.

There were about 107 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduation, theater bachelor's recipients typically earn about $22,400 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from California State University - Fullerton

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94 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NC
#4 Best Quality In NC

Located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem, UNCSA is a public university with a small student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in North Carolina.

There were roughly 94 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at UNCSA in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the drama and theater arts degree program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts make $9,309 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from University of North Carolina School of the Arts

14
93 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In IL
#1 Best Quality In IL

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in Illinois.

There were approximately 93 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

After graduating, theater bachelor's recipients usually make about $20,600 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Northwestern University

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Full Sail University crest
Full Sail University
Winter Park, FL
91 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In FL
#19 Best Quality In FL

Located in the large suburb of Winter Park, Full Sail University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population.

There were roughly 91 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Full Sail University in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's recipients from the drama and theater arts major at Full Sail University get $7,809 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Full Sail University

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90 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In NY
#20 Best Quality In NY

Located in the large city of New York, Pace University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

There were approximately 90 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Pace University in the most recent data year.

Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from Pace University - New York get an earnings boost of around $3,009 above the typical earnings of drama and theater arts majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Pace University - New York

17
85 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In CA
#8 Best Quality In CA

UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #8 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in California.

There were roughly 85 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make around $17,800 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from University of California - Irvine

17
85 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In CA
#7 Best Quality In CA

Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Orange. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #7 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in California.

There were roughly 85 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program earn about $19,800 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Chapman University

19
80 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In FL
#4 Best Quality In FL

UCF is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Orlando. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #4 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in Florida.

There were roughly 80 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from University of Central Florida

20
78 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#7 Most Popular In CA
#18 Best Quality In CA

CSULB is a very large public university located in the large city of Long Beach.

There were roughly 78 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $19,000.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from California State University - Long Beach

20
78 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CO
#2 Best Quality In CO

University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Greeley. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in Colorado.

There were approximately 78 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at University of Northern Colorado in the most recent data year.

Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of Northern Colorado get an earnings boost of about $4,609 over the typical earnings of drama and theater arts graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from University of Northern Colorado

22
Point Park crest
Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA
76 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In PA
#11 Best Quality In PA

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Point Park is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

There were about 76 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Point Park in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make an average of $20,700 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Point Park University

23
Muhlenberg crest
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA
75 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In PA
#5 Best Quality In PA

Muhlenberg is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Allentown. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 75 drama and theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Muhlenberg in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduation, theater bachelor's recipients generally make around $17,300 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Muhlenberg College

24
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
74 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In PA
#12 Best Quality In PA

Located in the large city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population.

There were roughly 74 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make an average of $18,800 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from Temple University

24
74 Annual Bachelor's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IN
#1 Best Quality In IN

Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for bachelor's degrees in drama and theater arts in Indiana.

There were approximately 74 drama and theater arts individuals who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

Those drama and theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Notre Dame receive $10,209 more than the average theater student.

More information about a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts from University of Notre Dame

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28
UArts crest
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, PA
28
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
28
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32
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL

33
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY

34
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
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35
35
38
38
40
40
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

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43
Ithaca crest
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY
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44
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
47
SUNY Fredonia crest
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, NY
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49

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 866 different United States drama and theater arts schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
49 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
52 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
52 Roosevelt University Chicago, IL
54 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
54 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
54 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, OK
57 Cornish College of the Arts Seattle, WA
58 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
58 California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA
58 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
58 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
62 Elon University Elon, NC
62 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
64 The City College of New York New York, NY
65 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
65 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
67 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
67 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
67 University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras San Juan, PR
67 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
71 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
71 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
71 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
71 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA
75 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
75 Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA
77 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
77 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
77 Towson University Towson, MD
77 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
81 Shenandoah University Winchester, VA
81 Columbus State University Columbus, GA
83 Manhattan School of Music New York, NY
83 New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY
83 DeSales University Center Valley, PA
86 Florida International University Miami, FL
86 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
86 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
86 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC
90 Salem State University Salem, MA
90 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
90 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
90 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
90 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
95 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
95 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
95 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
98 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
98 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
98 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
98 Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT
98 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
98 Wagner College Staten Island, NY
104 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
104 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
106 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
106 Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX
106 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
106 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
106 Wright State University - Main Campus Dayton, OH
111 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI
111 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY
111 Fordham University Bronx, NY
111 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
115 Millikin University Decatur, IL
115 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
115 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
115 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
115 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
115 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
115 Wayne State University Detroit, MI
122 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
122 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
122 Baylor University Waco, TX
122 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
122 Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
122 Molloy College Rockville Centre, NY
128 LIU Post Brookville, NY
128 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
128 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
128 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
128 University of Houston Houston, TX
128 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
128 Bennington College Bennington, VT
128 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
128 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts award.

Rank College Location
137 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
137 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
137 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
140 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX
140 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
140 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
140 Hunter College New York, NY
140 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
140 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
140 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
147 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
147 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
147 Saint Edward’s University Austin, TX
147 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
147 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
147 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
147 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL
147 American University Washington, DC
155 Suffolk University Boston, MA
155 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
155 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
155 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
155 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
160 The University of Montana Missoula, MT
160 Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT
160 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
160 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
160 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
160 Brenau University Gainesville, GA
160 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
160 Otterbein University Westerville, OH
160 Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR
160 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
170 University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN
170 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
170 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
170 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
170 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
170 Portland State University Portland, OR
170 Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA
170 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
170 University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL
170 Queens College Queens, NY
170 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
170 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
170 Anderson University South Carolina Anderson, SC

Drama & Theater Arts by Region

View the Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Drama & Theater Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Theater Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Theater Arts 9,538
Acting 1,128
Musical Theater 851
Theater Design & Technology 632
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft 584
Playwriting & Screenwriting 342
Directing & Theatrical Production 138
Theatre Literature, History & Criticism 44
Costume Design 28
Theatre and Dance 22

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 25,775
Design & Applied Arts 19,683
Music 15,839
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 11,965
General Visual & Performing Arts 3,699
Arts & Media Management 3,298
Dance 2,817
Other Visual Art 529
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry 76
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art 3

Notes and References

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