2025 Best Theater Arts Schools in New York
27
Colleges in New York
1,727
Theater Degrees Awarded
Ranked #70 in popularity,
theater arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 27 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Theater Arts Schools in New York ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,727 degrees in theater arts to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Theater Arts School
Your choice of 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 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.
Pick Your Theater Arts Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Theater Arts Schools in New York list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
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.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for Theater Arts in New York
The schools below may not offer all types of theater degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top New York Schools in Theater
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In NY
414
Theater Degrees Awarded
It's difficult to beat New York University if you want to pursue a degree in 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 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.
There were about 414 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from New York University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In NY
81
Theater Degrees Awarded
Any student pursuing a degree in theater arts needs to check out Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were about 81 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Columbia University in the City of New York
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In NY
45
Theater Degrees Awarded
It is hard to beat Purchase College if you want to pursue a degree in theater arts. 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 about 45 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Purchase College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Purchase College
Syracuse University is a great choice for students interested in a degree in theater arts. Located in the midsize 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 roughly 11 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Syracuse University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
17th
Most Popular In NY
Located in the small 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 schools nationwide means Ithaca is a great college overall.
There were about 14 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Ithaca in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Ithaca College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In NY
44
Theater Degrees Awarded
Located in the large 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 44 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from The New School
University at Buffalo is a very large public university located in the large 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 24 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at University at Buffalo in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from University at Buffalo
Located in the large suburb of Poughkeepsie, Vassar is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 38th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were roughly 25 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Vassar in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Vassar College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
15th
Most Popular In NY
Located in the distant town of Fredonia, SUNY Fredonia is a public school with a small student population. This school ranks 98th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were approximately 20 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Fredonia in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from SUNY Fredonia
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
12th
Most Popular In NY
32
Theater Degrees Awarded
Fordham U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Bronx. A Best Colleges rank of #67 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Fordham U is a great university overall.
There were approximately 32 theater arts students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in theater arts from Fordham University
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