by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2021-2022, 11,323 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 70th most popular in the United States.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,007 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking looked at 794 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theater arts. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their theater arts program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major”.
Out of the 794 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornish College of the Arts landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Muhlenberg College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Allentown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 72 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Five Towns College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major. Dix Hills, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major. Located in Winston Salem, North Carolina, this small public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Theater Arts at University of North Carolina School of the Arts
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bennington College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Bennington College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bennington, Vermont. It awarded 21 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Dean College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Dean College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Franklin, Massachusetts. It awarded 20 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Catawba College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Catawba is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salisbury, North Carolina. It awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #8. USAO is a small public school situated in Chickasha, Oklahoma. It awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Theater Arts Report
With a ranking of #9, Wagner College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Wagner is a small school located in Staten Island, New York that handed out 43 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Millikin University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Purchase College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Principia College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #12. Principia College is a small school located in Elsah, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Southern Oregon University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Ashland, Oregon is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 46 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, Dillard University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Dillard University is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Montevallo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #15. Montevallo, Alabama is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 21 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Drew University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Drew is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Madison, New Jersey. It awarded 12 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Lawrence University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #17. Lawrence U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Appleton, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Calvary University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. This small school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Emerson College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Emerson is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 49 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Pomona College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Pomona is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
University of the Ozarks landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Located in Clarksville, Arkansas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Centenary College of Louisiana landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Shreveport, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Cornell College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Cornell College is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Skidmore College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Hampshire College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #25. Hampshire is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, Hollins University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Located in Roanoke, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Kenyon College | Gambier, OH |
| 52 | Western Connecticut State University | Danbury, CT |
| 53 | Spelman College | Atlanta, GA |
| 54 | North Central College | Naperville, IL |
| 55 | Whittier College | Whittier, CA |
| 56 | Norfolk State University | Norfolk, VA |
| 57 | Nebraska Wesleyan University | Lincoln, NE |
| 58 | Alabama State University | Montgomery, AL |
| 59 | University of Minnesota - Morris | Morris, MN |
| 60 | Earlham College | Richmond, IN |
| 61 | Oglethorpe University | Atlanta, GA |
| 62 | Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove, PA |
| 63 | Emory and Henry College | Emory, VA |
| 64 | Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus | Madison, NJ |
| 65 | Nazareth College | Rochester, NY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | SUNY New Paltz | New Paltz, NY |
| 67 | Hamilton College | Clinton, NY |
| 68 | Kalamazoo College | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 69 | Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT |
| 70 | Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, CT |
| 71 | Luther College | Decorah, IA |
| 72 | Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights, KY |
| 73 | Heidelberg University | Tiffin, OH |
| 74 | St Mary’s College of Maryland | St. Mary’s City, MD |
| 75 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
| 76 | Washington College | Chestertown, MD |
| 77 | New York University | New York, NY |
| 78 | Ohio Northern University | Ada, OH |
| 79 | University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras | San Juan, PR |
| 80 | Westminster College Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 81 | Barnard College | New York, NY |
| 82 | Bethany Lutheran College | Mankato, MN |
| 83 | Wofford College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 84 | Flagler College - St Augustine | Saint Augustine, FL |
| 85 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 86 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 87 | Bates College | Lewiston, ME |
| 88 | St Olaf College | Northfield, MN |
| 89 | Pacific Lutheran University | Tacoma, WA |
| 90 | Wesleyan College | Macon, GA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Guilford College | Greensboro, NC |
| 92 | Ripon College | Ripon, WI |
| 93 | Hillsdale College | Hillsdale, MI |
| 94 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | Natchitoches, LA |
| 95 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA |
| 96 | Central College | Pella, IA |
| 96 | Bard College at Simon’s Rock | Great Barrington, MA |
| 98 | University of Wisconsin - Parkside | Kenosha, WI |
| 99 | Loyola University New Orleans | New Orleans, LA |
| 100 | Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 101 | Lincoln College | Lincoln, IL |
| 102 | Asbury University | Wilmore, KY |
| 103 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | West Palm Beach, FL |
| 104 | Drury University | Springfield, MO |
| 105 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
| 106 | Gordon College | Wenham, MA |
| 107 | Coastal Carolina University | Conway, SC |
| 108 | Ithaca College | Ithaca, NY |
| 109 | Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, CA |
| 110 | Converse College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 111 | Randolph College | Lynchburg, VA |
| 112 | SUNY Potsdam | Potsdam, NY |
| 113 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 114 | Castleton University | Castleton, VT |
| 115 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 116 | Rhode Island College | Providence, RI |
| 117 | Pitzer College | Claremont, CA |
| 117 | University of Northwestern - St Paul | Saint Paul, MN |
| 119 | Oberlin College | Oberlin, OH |
| 119 | East Texas Baptist University | Marshall, TX |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
.jpg){kind=link}