Best Acting Schools in the US

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Best Acting Schools in the US

Looking for information on which school generates the best actors then you have come to the right place because we have just the list for you. The US has a ton of good schools and programs to join but the best of the best stand out.

So today we are going to list down the institutes that produce the best graduates in the field of acting. The list was comprised on the basis of the faculty, programs, number of notable alumni and more.

I hope you enjoy reading the rest of the article while also gathering some valuable information.

1. Juilliard School

Julliard has a strong history of producing exceptional students and is located right in the heart of America’s theatre centre, New York City.

Juilliard accepts 18 students each year, made of 8-10 BFA and 8-10 MFA students of varying ages. The BFA and MFA students work closely with the MFA students and then take a series of Liberal Arts courses, while the MFA students take graduate seminars in a variety of topics related to theatre.

We suggest you prepare well before applying to Juilliard as the institute only accepts two applications from any individual for each course (twice for the BFA and twice for the MFA).

  • Founded In: 1905
  • Tuition: $47,370
  • ACT/SAT: N/A
  • Acceptance Rate: 6.9%
  • GPA: 3.15
  • Rank: 1
  • Contact: +1 212-799-5000
  • Financial Aid: Juilliard Scholarship Program

Apply for Admission

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2. Yale School of Drama

The School with the unbeatable record for graduating the most actors who go on to land Tony nominations. The School receives around 1,000 applications to audition per year and accepts only 15-17 students.

The course is open to students with or without an undergraduate degree; however, to receive the MFA qualification, you have to complete the BFA.

Yale is a place where you can constantly work on the production. The School features over forty productions per season. Yale’s offers drama as a postgraduate (MFA) program.

  • Founded In: 1701
  • Tuition: $55,500
  • ACT/SAT: N/A
  • Acceptance Rate: 6.1%
  • GPA: 4.0
  • Rank: 2
  • Contact: 1800-103-5606
  • Location: New Haven, Connecticut
  • Financial Aid: To know more about Yale’s financial aid program, please click here. The applications for Yale’ scholarship will open in September 2021.

Apply for Admission

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3. Tisch School of the Arts, NYU

An interdisciplinary school that prepares students for sustaining a multi-talented career in the arts. The School features an innovative balance between academic curriculum and in-studio professional training.

The School provides over 150 performance opportunities through independent directing projects, department productions, studio workshops and student-generated work each year.

Tisch NYU also offers the Grad Acting program, which accepts 16 actors per year from an admissions pool of roughly 800 applicants. The program provides students with a chance to work with NYU’s world-class Graduate Film program film school.

The School will also let you work with professional directors hand-selected to teach, but importantly who can offer you work upon graduating.

  • Founded In: 1965
  • Tuition: $76,614
  • ACT/SAT: N/A
  • Acceptance Rate: 7.5%
  • GPA: 3.0
  • Rank: 3
  • Contact: +1 212-998-1900
  • Financial Aid: To get detailed information about the financial aid programs available at this institution, please click here.

Apply for Admission

4. UCLA School of Theatre

The UCLA School of Theatre is Los Angeles‘ top acting school. It has a liberal arts education and pre-professional training for students.

UCLA offers a drama program integrated with the film department to train actors to work seamlessly across theatre, film, and television. Changes have been made to the freedom in choosing classes for students, which allows them to take part in directing or playwriting classes to broaden their horizons.

The School also offers an MFA acting program connected to an outstanding film department. The connection between the film and television sets UCLA apart from other drama schools.

  • Founded In: 1882
  • Tuition: $42,994
  • ACT/SAT: N/A
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • GPA: 4.3
  • Rank: 4
  • Contact: +1 310-825-4321
  • Financial Aid: To get detailed information about the financial aid programs available at this institution, please click here.

Apply for Admission

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon is known for training successful musical theatre actors. Its “training within the University’s settings” is designed to prepare students for the industry.

The program is divided into four segments of learning. Students perform various shows in their senior year in New York, LA, and Pittsburgh to showcase their skills as a professional actor.

The University also has a partnership with the National American Society of Composers and Publishers and the Pittsburgh Civic Light opera to provide their students unique and collaborative opportunities constantly.

Apply for Admission

6. USC School of Dramatic Arts

The University offers a BFA in Acting and an MFA in Acting. The program combines professional training, emphasising development and networking its graduates to the industry’s biggest names.

Classical conservatory-style training with an innovative physical approach, the School produces more than 20 shows annually to provide students with ample professional experience and exposure.

Programs that help connect students to alumni, mentoring, audition coaching, career counselling are also available. And the preparation of self-tests and support for headshots is provided by the School’s career centre.

  • Founded In: 1929
  • Tuition: $59,260
  • ACT/SAT: N/A
  • Acceptance Rate: 2%
  • GPA: 4.0
  • Rank: 6
  • Contact: +1 213-740-2804
  • Financial Aid: Following are some of the programs that this school offers to its students. To get detailed information regarding this and to check other programs, please click here:
  • Paul Allen Backer ISP Award
  • John Blankenship/William C. White Award
  • James and Nony Doolittle Awards
  • David Coleman Dukes Memorial Award

Apply for Admission

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7. California Institute of the Arts

Referred to as the “Juilliard of the West”, the BFA program balances classical actor training with innovative future-focused learning. Students attend rigorous classes in speech, movement acting, voice, and theatrical production.

The School has a way of unlocking students’ creative potential for expression. Students shift from the American canon to classical texts to modern classics with cinema and poetry, an on-screen technique as they transition through the four years.

The MFA program is designed for advanced students, offering classes in the same categories as the BFA to better prepare them for acting careers across traditional and new performances.

  • Founded In: 1961
  • Tuition: $48,000
  • ACT/SAT: N/A
  • Acceptance Rate: 25%
  • GPA: 3.34
  • Rank: 7
  • Contact: +1 661-255-1050
  • Financial Aid: To get detailed information about the financial aid programs available at this institution, please click here.

Apply for Admission

 

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Indu has been educator since last 10 years. She can find all kind of scholarship opportunities in the USA and beyond. She also teach college courses online to help students become better. She is one of the very rare scholarship administrator and her work is amazing.