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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts

35 Ranked Colleges
65 Degrees Awarded
$35,200 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking.

Theater Arts is the 70th most popular major in the country with 11,323 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 65 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theater arts. That schools that top this list have a program in theater arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts

1
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified doctorate’s theater students in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at The Graduate Center, CUNY

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 35 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Stanford

3
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Out of the 35 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Tufts University landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Tufts Theater Arts Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Hawaii at Manoa. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major. This fairly large school is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UH Manoa Theater Arts Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. BGSU is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at BGSU

6
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s theater degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Northwestern University

7
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #7. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 2 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Brown University Theater Arts Report

8
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. UO is located in Eugene, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UO Theater Arts Report

9

With a ranking of #9, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Pitt is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1 doctorate’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Pitt

10

With a ranking of #10, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Theater Arts at Ohio State

11
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 3 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Kansas Theater Arts Report

12
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cornell University Theater Arts Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UCSD

14

With a ranking of #14, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s theater students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Columbia

15

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UCLA

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 1 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

17
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 69 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Theater Arts at Florida State

18
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full University of Georgia Theater Arts Report

19

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a public institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Theater Arts Report

20

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s theater degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Theater Arts Report

21

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking, coming in at #21. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 4 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Theater Arts at UC Berkeley

22

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 1 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UIUC

23

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara

24
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 414 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s theater students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Theater Arts at New York University

25

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Theater Major ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 2 doctorate’s theater degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Theater Arts Report

Notes and References

References

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