Skip to content
Home » Top Colleges & Universities » Best Schools for Drama Programs in the United States

Best Schools for Drama Programs in the United States

Drama program is dedicated to giving you the artistic and intellectual know-how for a successful life in the performing arts and helping students learn proper techniques in breathing, voice placements, articulation, elimination of regionalism and singing.

Students who are serious about the acting profession or want to improve their acting skills and knowledge in the dramatic field. They need to find the right college for their education. In order to help you here, we have gathered a list of the Best Schools for Drama in the US.

There are several top-ranked Drama schools available in our given list which is focus on practical classes, rather than theoretical classes. Their aim is to train students as professional actors for the stage (theatre or musical theatre) and camera-based work (film and television shows).

Start search and find all the information about top schools for drama along with their tuition, ranking, contact information etc. Check out the full list and choose the best that fulfill your needs. Good Luck!!!

Yale School of Drama

The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University located in Connecticut.  The Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in every discipline of the theatre.  It offers a Master of Fine Arts in acting, design, sound design, directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, technical design and production, and theatre management. The school also offers a Doctor of Fine Arts to students who hold an M.F.A. degree in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism. Students must hold an undergraduate degree and complete their program of study with distinction, which requires three years in residence.

Founded In: 1924
Ranking: 1st
Tuition & Fees Approximately:  $30,800
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 203-432-1234
Website: https://www.drama.yale.edu/

Juilliard School

Juilliard School is a private institution that provides the four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in Drama. It offers a wide variety of performance opportunities designed to allow actors to practice skills they’ve acquired in the classroom and to integrate them into a way of working that is reliable and collaborative. It trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading music and dance schools, with some of the most prestigious arts programs.

Founded In: 1905
Ranking: 2nd
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 39,720 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 212-799-5000
Website: https://www.juilliard.edu/drama

New York University Tisch School of the Arts

The New York University Tisch School of the Arts is a center of study in the performing and media arts.  It has three institutes and 16 programs and offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Professional Studies, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. It also offers Master of Fine Arts degrees in animation and digital arts, dramatic writing, film and international media producing. Their undergraduate program matches rigorous conservatory training with an empowering academic curriculum. Their curriculum is designed to prepare you for a sustained career in the performing arts and related fields. You’ll benefit from a curriculum that has a conservatory and academic components.

Founded In: 1965
Ranking: 3rd
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 49,962 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 212-998-1900
Website: http://tisch.nyu.edu/

https://youtu.be/CyWryJg5_n0

The University of California, San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance

The University of California, San Diego is a public research university located in California, United States. Department of Theatre and Dance offers a major and minor in Theatre, a major and minor in Dance, and a double major in both Theatre and Dance. It is based on the belief that a good undergraduate education in theatre should provide the student with a solid background in dramatic literature and aesthetics and history of theatrical performance.

Founded In: 1903
Ranking: 4th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,530 USD, Out-of-state 38,238 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 858-534-2230
Website: http://theatre.ucsd.edu/

USC School of Dramatic Arts

The USC School of Dramatic Arts is ranked one of the top 10 dramatic arts schools in the world. It offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in theatre and visual & performing arts; Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in acting, design, sound design, and Master of Fine Arts degrees in acting and dramatic writing. The Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing is an intensive, intimate, mentor-based, practicing literary arts program for today’s dramatic writer. The program aims to help students utilize their innate artistry to build excellence and to discover their authentic voice.

Founded In: 1945
Ranking: 5th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $43,200
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 213-821-2744
Website: https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/

https://youtu.be/c2k6gNrBpi8

Brown University Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies

The Brown University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, United States.  Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies offers a Doctoral Program in Theatre and Performance Studies, an MFA Program in Playwriting, and the Brown/Trinity MFA Programs in Acting and Directing. The program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to study performance theory while simultaneously working with communities outside of the university.

Founded In: 1764
Ranking: 6th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 49,346 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 401-863-1000
Website: https://www.brown.edu/academics/theatre-arts-performance-studies/

University of North Carolina School of Drama

The University of North Carolina is a public research university located in North Carolina, United States.  The School of Drama offers a variety of drama degree programs. Unique workshops in special techniques are offered that include elements such as a mask, audition techniques, stage combat, clowning, directing, and acting for film and television. This top drama school program emphasizes the importance of fusing technical skill with creative inspiration to mold students into well-equipped and versatile actors. Their courses focus on acting fundamentals, such as theories and techniques for performance, improvisation and scene study.

Founded In: 1789
Ranking: 7th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 8,591 USD, Out-of-state 33,673 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 919-962-2211
Website: https://www.uncsa.edu/drama/index.aspx

 The University of California, Los Angeles School of Theater, Film, and Television

The UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television (UCLA TFT), is one of the 11 schools within the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It offers professional programs in Screenwriting, Video Game Writing, Producing and Acting for the Camera are the only non-degree screenwriting and producing programs. It also offers non-degree certificate programs modeled after the world-renowned MFA curriculum. The undergraduate program is often ranked among the world’s top drama departments.

Founded In: 1947
Ranking: 8th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 12,763 USD, Out-of-state 37,471 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 310-825-4321
Website: http://tft.ucla.edu/

University of San Diego Old Globe Theatre

The University of San Diego is a private Roman Catholic research university in California, United States. The Old Globe Theatre produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. It offers degree programs and courses in drama. The Undergraduate Theatre program embraces theatre as a means to inspire humanity and engage a diverse society. Through the lens of playmaking, we are aligned with the University’s liberal arts mission – focusing on the development of empathy, critical analysis, creative problem solving, and change making.

Founded In: 1935
Ranking: 9th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 44,586 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 619-260-4600
Website: https://www.sandiego.edu/cas/theatre/

Columbia University Drama and Theatre Arts Program

The Columbia University is the oldest college in the state of New York and the fifth chartered institution of higher learning in the United States. Their undergraduate theatre program engages the disciplines of drama, theatre, and performance studies as a distinctive mode of intellectual and artistic inquiry. Majors take foundational coursework in the literary, cultural, and embodied traditions of western and non-western performance as well as in the practices of acting, directing, design, and playwriting.

Founded In: 1754
Ranking: 10th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 53,000 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 212-854-1754
Website: http://bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-college/departments-instruction/drama-theatre-arts/

Indu Singh

Share this post on social

About us

We are a scholarship and financial aid blog that offers expert advise for wealth management.

Topics

The content on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional financial advice. We are not a financial institution and does not provide any financial products or services. We strive to provide up-to-date information but make no warranties regarding the accuracy of our information.