2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Finding the Best Drama & Theater Arts School for You
Drama & Theater Arts is the #60 most popular major in the country with 17,341 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 100 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Check out the theater programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Lafayette College the best school in the Middle Atlantic Region for drama and theater arts students. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Easton.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the large city of New York, The Graduate Center is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
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The excellent programs at Carnegie Mellon University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best drama and theater arts schools in the Middle Atlantic Region . Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Pittsburgh.
The average amount in student loans that theater majors at Carnegie Mellon take out is $25,943.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Musical and Dramatic Academy. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the large city of New York, American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Theater majors at American Musical and Dramatic Academy take out an average of $19,500 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $938.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of New York.
On average, theater graduates from New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts take out $12,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $603.
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The Juilliard School came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in the city of New York, Juilliard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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St Mary’s College of Maryland landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best drama and theater arts programs. Located in the small suburb of St. Mary's City, SMCM is a public school with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #8, Skidmore College did quite well on this year’s best schools for drama and theater arts students. Located in the small suburb of Saratoga Springs, Skidmore is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #9, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best schools for drama and theater arts students. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for drama and theater arts students. Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that theater majors at Pitt take out is $25,989.
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New York University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best drama and theater arts programs. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, theater graduates from NYU carry an average student debtload of $23,236. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $1,160, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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West Chester University of Pennsylvania came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. WCUPA is a large public school located in the suburb of West Chester.
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With a ranking of #13, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best schools for drama and theater arts students. Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
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Messiah University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the large suburb of Mechanicsburg, Messiah is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Towson University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best drama and theater arts programs. Towson is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Towson.
After completing their degree, theater graduates from Towson carry an average student debtload of $17,500.
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Here are some additional great schools for Drama & Theater Arts students in the Middle Atlantic Region that almost earned our Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, NJ |
| 17 | Goucher College | Baltimore, MD |
| 18 | Ithaca College | Ithaca, NY |
| 19 | American University | Washington, DC |
| 20 | Muhlenberg College | Allentown, PA |
Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges by State
Explore the best drama and theater arts schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 754 |
| New York | 2,542 |
| Maryland | 179 |
| New Jersey | 210 |
| District of Columbia | 67 |
More Drama & Theater Arts Rankings in the Middle Atlantic Region
Drama & Theater Arts Related Rankings by Major
Drama & Theater Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related 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.