Top Colleges and Universities for Aspiring Performing Artists

For individuals with a deep-seated passion for acting, a B.A. or BFA program in the field can be the ideal path to pursue. The performing arts encompass a wide array of disciplines, including theater (acting, directing, stage management), dance (ballet, contemporary, jazz), and music (vocal performance, instrumental performance, musical theater). Choosing the right college or university with a strong performing arts program is crucial for aspiring artists.

What to Consider When Choosing a Performing Arts College

Attending a performing arts college is a significant decision, requiring a commitment to focusing exclusively on one's art for four years. To make an informed choice, consider the following factors:

Program Focus

Determine whether you are interested in earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). A BFA program typically dedicates approximately two-thirds of its curriculum to the chosen major, providing intensive training and skill development. A BA program, on the other hand, allocates about one-third of its courses to the major, allowing for a broader liberal arts education and the possibility of double majoring in a non-arts subject.

Curriculum and Training

Look into the courses offered and the training methodologies employed. Some programs offer a well-rounded approach to drama, with an emphasis on theory and history in addition to acting. Others focus on specific techniques, such as Stanislavsky, Meisner, or Alexander. Ensure that the curriculum aligns with your artistic interests and career goals.

Performance Opportunities

It is essential for performers to have opportunities to showcase their talents. Inquire about the number and type of productions staged each year, as well as the availability of on-campus and off-campus performance opportunities. Some schools offer internships with local theater or dance groups, while others provide study abroad programs at premier institutions.

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Faculty and Guest Artists

Research the faculty members and their professional experience. A faculty of working theater professionals can provide valuable insights and guidance. Additionally, consider whether the school brings in guest artists to share their expertise and industry perspectives.

Alumni Success

Examine the list of notable alumni and their achievements in the performing arts. A strong alumni network can provide valuable connections and career opportunities.

Location and Environment

Consider the location of the school and its proximity to major arts centers. Being located near a thriving arts scene can provide access to internships, networking opportunities, and cultural experiences. Additionally, assess the overall campus environment and whether it is a good fit for your personality and learning style.

Program Size and Structure

Decide whether you prefer a large university setting or a smaller, more intimate conservatory environment. Smaller class sizes often allow for more individualized attention and learning opportunities.

Financial Considerations

Consider the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses. Explore scholarship options and financial aid opportunities to make your education more affordable.

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Top Performing Arts Colleges and Universities

It’s important to remember that rankings of performing arts colleges should be viewed as a starting point for your own research. This list is divided into tiers rather than rankings, as rankings can be subjective and less meaningful.

Tier 1: Premier Performing Arts Institutions

Tier 1 schools are the cream-of-the-crop performing arts colleges; they provide students with the most extracurricular opportunities and have the longest lists of notable alumni. Note that not all of these schools are excellent for both dance and drama. Actually, some of these schools only offer a dance or a drama program.

Juilliard (New York, NY): Consistently ranked among the top drama and dance programs, Juilliard boasts an impressive list of alumni who have won numerous prestigious awards. The school offers intensive training in performance, movement, voice, and other aspects of the craft. The dance program holds 15 public performances each year, and the drama program puts on many plays and senior showcases in both New York and Los Angeles for industry professionals such as casting directors, agents, and managers.
NYU Tisch School of the Arts (New York, NY): Like Juilliard, NYU Tisch is also always near the top of the rankings for both drama and dance. The school offers a wide range of degrees in various artistic fields, including drama, performance studies, film & television, dramatic writing, and cinema studies. During their first two years, drama BFA students are placed within one of 10 studios, among them the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, the Experimental Theatre Wing, the Meisner Studio, the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, and the New Studio on Broadway. Come junior year, they can either choose to remain at their original studio or switch to a different one.
Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA): Carnegie Mellon has a long history of top-notch drama education: in fact, it was the first degree-granting drama institution in the US. The drama department offers a unique, hands-on education that gives students plenty of on-stage opportunities. The department puts on 20 shows per year, allowing for many performance opportunities. Additionally, the school cancels classes for a week each year to let students engage in performances of any kind (such as original works or adaptations of movies). Additionally, Carnegie Mellon offers students a chance to engage in interdisciplinary studies through The Studio for Creative Inquiry and The Center for Arts in Society.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee (Boston, MA): There are many performance opportunities throughout the year, the most prestigious being the ability to perform as a member of the Boston Conservatory Dance Theater. Alumni perform with dance companies around the globe as well as on Broadway.
Yale School of Drama (New Haven, CT): The MFA program offers programs in every aspect of performance, from on-stage acting all the way to technical design and stage management. The School of Drama also boasts a long list of famous alumni, including Meryl Streep, Angela Bassett, Sigourney Weaver, Paul Giamatti, and Lupita Nyong'o. In the past 10 years, 100% of graduates have landed agents or managers within the first month out of school.
Northwestern University (Evanston, IL): Northwestern is one of the few drama schools that doesn't require an audition for admission. However, getting accepted is tough because drama students are held to high academic standards, and the current university acceptance rate is around 7%. Undergraduate students at Northwestern have many opportunities to perform in both school-sponsored and student-run shows. As many as 40 shows a year are staged at the Wirtz Center for the Performing arts, and another 40 student-led shows happen across campus.

Tier 2: Excellent Performing Arts Programs

Tier 2 schools are still excellent, but they aren't quite as prestigious as those listed in Tier 1.

University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Winston-Salem, NC): UNCSA is home to exceptional drama and dance programs. Alumni of the dance program have gone on to perform with the American Ballet Theatre, the New York City Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Martha Graham Ensemble. Others have danced with performers such as Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, and Beyoncé. Drama and dance students at UNCSA have many performance opportunities including a senior showcase for industry professionals in New York.
California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, CA): CalArts is considered the best dance school on the West Coast and one of the top drama schools in the country. The School of Dance boasts distinguished faculty and brings in guest artists to give students industry and expert perspective. The drama school is a great choice for actors who know they want to pursue film or television acting since, during the final year, students enroll in Acting Studio for the Camera. This course specifically trains students for acting and auditioning for film and TV. Additionally, at the end of the final semester, students get to perform in an industry showcase in Los Angeles.
Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts (New Brunswick, NJ): Rutgers' Mason Gross School of the Arts has world-class drama and dance programs. Thanks to its proximity to New York City, the dance program offers students opportunities for master classes and workshops in world dance forms with international artists. Classes run the gamut from Shakespeare to modern TV. Students spend their third year at the Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare's Globe in London, which culminates with a performance on the Globe stage. The final semester is focused on an effective transition into the professional acting world with classes in On-Camera Technique, Auditioning, and Introduction to the Life of a Working Actor.
Fordham University (Bronx, NY): Fordham is located in the Bronx, which means students will be steeped in dance culture and history from the moment they step on campus. Known primarily for its partnership with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Fordham offers students a liberal arts education and collaboration with a world-famous modern dance company.
Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY): Syracuse offers separate degrees in acting or musical theatre, allowing students to specialize in a particular field. Students also have the opportunity to study "abroad" in New York, Los Angeles, and London, which are some of the best cities for the dramatic arts in the world.
University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA): The University of Southern California is known for its film program, but it has a fantastic drama program as well. It's probably not a huge surprise given that the school is located in Los Angeles, the heart of the film industry. Because of that, the school invites many visiting artists to work with students to develop their craft. While all students get a solid foundation in the dramatic arts, they also get to take highly specialized classes like Stand Up Comedy and Medical Clowning. That allows students to focus their studies to fit their future careers.
Oklahoma City University (Oklahoma City, OK): Oklahoma City University is well-known as an arts school, but its dance program stands out from the crowd because of its focus on American dance forms. The school teaches tap, jazz, and musical theater dance at the highest levels. Students can also major in arts management, a unique degree that teaches students how to be professional managers that help direct performers' careers.

Additional Colleges and Universities to Consider

Baldwin Wallace University (Berea, OH): The only bachelor of music track on this list, Baldwin Wallace’s conservatory program trains students in classical acting techniques like Stanislavsky, Meisner, and Alexander. It also focuses on diction and dialect, heightened verse, acting for the camera, and contemporary scene study. In the dance realm, students learn classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop. As far as vocal techniques, they study classical, golden age musical theater, and pop and rock styles, as well as audition training.
Elon University (Elon, NC): Students at Elon are required to complete courses in a wide array of disciplines, including contemporary vocal techniques; music theory; musical theater literature; scene study; acting for the camera; ballet, jazz, modern, Fosse, and tap dance; and commedia dell’arte. They can choose how far they want to progress in different disciplines based on their level of interest.
Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY): Ithaca’s musical theater program prides itself on training the “whole performer.” Students dive right into 20-plus hours of training per week in dance, acting, and music, including private voice lessons; scene study; voice and movement for the stage; audition techniques; and jazz, ballet, and modern dance. During regular faculty evaluations, professors point out students’ strengths as well as the areas they need to work on.
Marymount Manhattan College (New York, NY): The Theatre Arts Programs at MMC offer professional theatre education and training combined with a liberal arts education. It is our philosophy that the more well-rounded the education of theatre students, the better prepared they are to create and produce compelling and imaginative theatre.
Pace University (New York, NY): Pace’s musical theater program employs faculty members currently working in the industry, as well as artists-in-residence like Tony-winning composer Jeanine Tesori. Courses include acting for musical theater, acting for television and film, scene study, musical theater history and repertoire, and script and score analysis.
Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA): Students at Penn State are trained in acting, voice, and dance. They also take a course called musical theater styles, which focuses on the history of Broadway choreographers from 1930 to the present.
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (Cincinnati, OH): CCM’s musical theater program is the oldest in the United States. The program prides itself on turning out triple threats: talented young people who can sing, dance and act with equal accomplishment.
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI): According to musical theater performance professor Vincent Cardinal, students at UM are expected to be “competitive at the highest level of profession” in two of the three musical theater disciplines.

Choosing the Right Fit

Just because a school is highly regarded doesn't mean it's the right fit for every student. Consider the following factors when making your decision:

School Size and Intensity: Determine whether you thrive in a small, intense conservatory environment or a larger university setting.
Program Specialization: If you're interested in dance, consider whether you prefer ballet or contemporary dance and choose a program that aligns with your interests.
Regional Preferences: If you have a preference for a specific region, focus your search on schools in that area.
Personal Preferences: If you hate large schools, just don't choose one. If you get overwhelmed by intensity, a conservatory (such as Juilliard or the Boston Conservatory) might not be a great choice for you since they're both small programs where competition is fierce.

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