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Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools

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2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools

34 Colleges
$18,693 Avg Salary
$14,037 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 17,341 people earned a degree or certificate in drama and theater arts, making the major the #60 most popular in the United States.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 34 schools in the United States to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best for theater majors pursuing a associate degree.

Top 10 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts to be the best school for drama and theater arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in the United States. KD Conservatory is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Dallas.

Theater majors at KD Conservatory take out an average of $20,104 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $165.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at KD Conservatory College of Film and Dramatic Arts

Out of the 34 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of New York, New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Theater majors at New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts take out an average of $15,833 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $603.

Read More…

Out of the 34 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, American Musical and Dramatic Academy landed the # 3 spot on the list. American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at American Musical and Dramatic Academy

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means John Tyler Community College is a great place for drama and theater arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the large suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at John Tyler Community College

#5

LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, NY

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend LaGuardia Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools list. LaGuardia is a large public school located in the city of Long Island City.

While working on their Associate Degree, theater majors at LaGuardia accumulate an average of around $7,806 in student debt.

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With a ranking of #6, American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York did quite well on this year’s best schools for drama and theater arts students working on their associate degree. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

While working on their Associate Degree, theater majors at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York accumulate an average of around $11,484 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $387.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York Report

#7

Valencia College

Orlando, FL

Valencia College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Valencia College Report

American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools list. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

After completing their Associate Degree, theater graduates from American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles carry an average student debtload of $11,484. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $387.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles

Austin Community College District landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree drama and theater arts programs. Located in the large city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Austin Community College District Report

Weber State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Ogden, WSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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Drama & Theater Arts by Region

View the Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 10 majors within the area of study, drama and theater arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Theater

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Music 25,910
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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