Is there a list of the "top musical theater colleges" in the country?

[massofmen]

Posted: 7/19/21 at 2:33pm

Didn't know if some publication had such a ranking. 

thanks

Updated On: 7/19/21 at 02:33 PM

[barcelona20]

Posted: 7/19/21 at 3:32pm

There are random rankings here and there, but everyone generally agrees on the "top" schools.

U Mich, Carnegie Mellon, Boston Conservatory, Cincinnati Conservatory, Elon, Baldwin-Wallace, NYU, Pace, Emerson, Ithaca, Texas State. Apologies if I missed any.

 

 

Updated On: 7/19/21 at 03:32 PM

[FosseTharp]

Posted: 7/19/21 at 4:58pm

There have been plenty of lists throughout the years and some programs that have emerged as a top program that weren’t when I was getting my BFA (Directing concentration). Generally speaking the top program would probably be considered Carnegie Mellon as that also has the lowest acceptance rate and that’s the program every exceptional MT prospective student auditions for, similar to Juilliard or Yale.

 

U of M, CCM, and Carnegie Mellon are at the top of every list and get the most applicants usually with the lowest acceptance rate. Especially now with Pre Screens being a thing. Way more applicants and they can screen for the best of the best to invite to audition.

 

Besides the programs listed by Barcelona, I’d definitely add Penn State as one of the highly selective top programs. Point Park is a program that’s great for skilled Dancers that are ready to join an ensemble or become a Swing right out of school.

 

Baldwin Wallace supposedly has the highest Number of graduates who sign with an agency from their showcase (I believe it at one point was a 100% agency signing among graduates).

 

One of the best programs rarely listed on “lists” and scoffed at by some is Northwestern. It’s a General Theatre Arts degree with certificate in Musical Theater. There is no audition for Northwestern, but it’s generally assumed that if youre smart enough to get accepted academically you wouldn’t apply without the talent to back it up.

 

Texas State and University of Oklahoma have been gaining a great reputation over the past decade. Florida State used to be one of the best, especially for Dancers, but not so much anymore.

Updated On: 7/19/21 at 04:58 PM

[JGPR2]

Posted: 7/19/21 at 11:44pm

"Florida State used to be one of the best, especially for Dancers, but not so much anymore."

That is disappointing to hear. Friend of mine had daughter who graduated 10 years ago and thought it was great, she did dance professionally for a few years. 

[ActorsChannel2]

Posted: 7/20/21 at 12:56pm

Hopefully this fun and informative video can help.

It lists the Top 25 Schools for Acting/Musical Theatre/Drama and covers the usual basics with some others, based on recent publications, alumni, staff and more.

There's plenty of other videos in this channel that can help with College and University Auditions in Musical Theatre and Drama as well.

I would always look up the current staff of the schools you are applying to & the roster of classes and alumni to fit your immediate and long term goals -  as a guideline.

Hope it helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG8okSHx3dw&t=625s

 

Top 25 Schools for Actors

Updated On: 7/20/21 at 12:56 PM

[massofmen]

Posted: 7/21/21 at 12:32pm

thanks!

[copskid949]

Posted: 7/21/21 at 2:18pm

It’s all incredibly opinion-based. Truthfully the best school for you will be the one that caters to your needs. Don’t feel like you have to live in Berea if you only want to go to Baldwin-Wallace, likewise don’t feel like you have to live in Pittsburgh if you want to go to CMU. Truthfully, the schools with those small acceptance rates are just winning the popularity contest. I’d recommend doing the research on musical theatre programs that may not be as well-known. Look which ones are going to Unifieds especially. It’s not the education you receive, it’s whether or not that education will offer you a strong environment for personal and talent-based growth.

[FosseTharp]

Posted: 7/21/21 at 3:00pm

To put it into perspective… Carnegie Mellon has about 2,000 to 2,500 hundred apply each year for TWELVE slots. That’s insane.
 

As someone who has coached students applying to MT Schools and helping with their pre-screens, I’ve noticed that I personally prefer the programs that select the smaller number of students. Carnegie Mellon accepts 12, Penn State usually 12 or 14. It allows for a more diverse selection of students both by race and typing. UMich and CCM have so many students that look the same, sound the same, and majority white.

 

Programs across the board are getting so competitive that even “second tier” programs are starting to get exceptional students. BoCo still tends to be the program those with privilege $$$ go to because they didn’t get into another program or foolishly didn’t apply to enough schools. They accept a ton and it’s insanely expensive. Back in the day you used to apply to 5-10 programs now students are applying to 20-30. Pre-screens definitely help with that.

[Kip4]

Posted: 7/21/21 at 3:07pm

I went to BW so I can offer a little bit of perspective.  I wasn't an MT, but I gathered a lot of information just by being in the same building as them.  

They pick their class based on types.  I watched four classes of MTs come and go.  There were always the "hot" ones, the fat ones, the minorities, etc.  And they stayed that way for all four years.  In other words, if they didn't envision you as a lead when you got in then you were never getting a lead.  I imagine it's that way at many of these programs.  And the vast majority of them were spoiled rich kids. 

Personally, you might be better off exploring good BFA acting programs where you can study voice.  I'm willing to bet that you'll not only get better training but you'll have more opportunities.  Get yourself trained to be and ACTOR, not a cookie cutter MT.

 

Updated On: 7/21/21 at 03:07 PM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 7/22/21 at 3:26am

FosseTharp said: "To put it into perspective… Carnegie Mellon has about 2,000 to 2,500 hundred apply each year for TWELVE slots. That’s insane.”

how the hell is 12 students per class even enough for productions of shows

 

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 7/22/21 at 9:35am

In this, our Lord's year of 2021, go to what ever school will allow you graduate with as little debt as possible.

[52889j]

Posted: 7/22/21 at 9:58am

gypsy101 said: "FosseTharp said: "To put it into perspective… Carnegie Mellon has about 2,000 to 2,500 hundred apply each year for TWELVE slots. That’s insane.”

how the hell is 12 students per class even enough for productions of shows

"

Because it's 48 students across all four classes.

[FosseTharp]

Posted: 7/22/21 at 1:19pm

52889j said: "gypsy101 said: "FosseTharp said: "To put it into perspective… Carnegie Mellon has about 2,000 to 2,500 hundred apply each year for TWELVE slots. That’s insane.”

how the hell is 12 students per class even enough for productions of shows

"

Because it's 48 students across all four classes."

 

plus the 48 acting majors— many of which can also sing and would get accepted in a number of MT programs. They also have a great technical theatre program, undergraduate directing, and one of the best MFA programs out there. 

 

[copskid949]

Posted: 7/23/21 at 7:19am

Kip4 said: "I went to BW so I can offer a little bit of perspective. I wasn't an MT, but I gathered a lot of information just by being in the same building as them.

They pick their class based on types. I watched four classes of MTs come and go. There were always the "hot" ones, the fat ones, the minorities, etc. And they stayed that way for all four years. In other words, if they didn't envision you as a lead when you got in then you were never getting a lead. I imagine it's that way at many of these programs. And the vast majority of them were spoiled rich kids.

Personally, you might be better off exploring good BFA acting programs where you can study voice. I'm willing to bet that you'll not only get better training but you'll have more opportunities. Get yourself trained to be and ACTOR, not a cookie cutter MT.

"

BW is a big type school. Luckily there are great programs out there who don’t take students based on any of that.

And on the note about cookie-cutter, more and more programs are starting to realize this phenomenon where top programs funnel out people who are marketable, but unable to offer much beyond that. There are obviously MANY exceptions, but lots of students graduate with no longevity to their careers. It’s not necessarily about being an actor first, but being an artist who can sustain themselves across the board.

Updated On: 7/23/21 at 07:19 AM

[Zamedy154]

Posted: 7/25/21 at 10:14am

I’m delighted to see my alma mater, Ithaca College, included in this thread. This relatively small school has produced an incredible roster of musical theatre alums, perhaps more than people realize. Among them... Kerry Butler, Aaron Tveit, Jeremy Jordan, Q Smith and Matt Cavanaugh, just to name a few.

And while he’s not in musical theatre, a shoutout to my ‘02 classmate, Ben Feldman (Superstore).

[massofmen]

Posted: 7/25/21 at 12:35pm

Yes, i'm just trying to understand the ROI on a BFA in Musical Theatre while racking up 150k of debt (after looking at the avg tutitions of the schools people are talking about on here and googling others). 
Seems insanely difficult for kids to pay that off doing theatre.   I get it if you are going into medicine or law, or finance, engineering, etc..but art? 
Something seems off with the whole thing. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/25/21 at 12:39pm

So the excellent training they receive should be cheaper because of their chosen field? That's not how college works. 

[FosseTharp]

Posted: 7/25/21 at 2:03pm

The majority of those that rack up the massive student debt also are those from low and middle income families and many from underrepresented groups have to drop out because they can’t afford to continue on. Many are forced to start Go Fun Me’s just to continue their education. I have friends who are alumni of Juilliard who’ve set up programs for low income students to help fund their tuition at Juilliard so they can attend at all.
 

The one’s who are getting all the scholarships for their MT BFA’s are the wealthy and very privileged students that don’t need the financial help. The ones who’ve been able to train at the top studios and spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on training growing up. They’re given all the scholarships and full rides….. because the school is trying to entice them to choose them over the other school(s) that want them. Which school gives them the most incentive is usually the one they choose. It’s why they all accept way more students than they actually take and have a huge tiered waitlist of those waiting to get an offer. All the schools want the exact same students so they need to accept way more than spots because rarely do they all accept. (Unless you’re Carnegie Mellon, they don’t send out more offers than spots because one rarely chooses another option unless financials is a big factor.

 

It’s the rich privileged kids that take all the scholarships. It really needs to change. But when you’re getting a degree with a .05% acceptance rate they do what they want.

[FosseTharp]

Posted: 7/25/21 at 2:32pm

Sutton Ross said: "So the excellent training they receive should be cheaper because of their chosen field? That's not how college works."

 

No, but colleges need a radical overhaul on tuition across the board, period. Department Head’s are making multi 6 figure salaries at some of these schools.  And yeah, my brother who is doing his pediatric neurology residency at Cleveland Clinic is in massive debt… but he’ll be fine. He’ll finish his residency and then start making $350,000 a year if he stays at his research hospital, but that jumps to about $500 if he goes to a private practice. He can handle the debt, I’ll be paying off my loans for life. But I don’t regret my decision. 
 

And Graduate Programs for theater tend to be much more generous with the financial support. Some programs are even free with scholarships (or they pay you! Like UCSD and Penn State, granted you teach on top of your course load).  When I was applying to MFA Directing programs I applied to only 6 programs because of how expensive the application process is with travel, air, and hotels for multiple rounds of interviews and final call backs, when it has like a 1% to 3% acceptance rate for Directing. I got interviews with 5 programs and made it to 3 final callbacks. I spent about $10,000 just on the application process.   Of the 6 I applied to, the one school I got offered a candidacy with was the one that offered no financial support.  It was my 6th choice and I ended up having to turn down my acceptance because it would have put me about $300,000 I’m debt.   I digress… but some things need to change. 

 

[Tyler Greenwood]

Posted: 1/17/22 at 4:21am

1. University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

2. New York University
New York, New York

3. College Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

5. Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Boston, Massachusetts

6. Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

7. Pace University
New York City, New York

8. The Juilliard School
New York City, New York

9. Marymount Manhattan College
New York City, New York

10. The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA)
New York City, New York

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/17/22 at 2:50pm

Tyler Greenwood said: "1. University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

2. New York University
New York, New York

3. College Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

5. Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Boston, Massachusetts

6. Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

7. Pace University
New York City, New York

8. The Juilliard School
New York City, New York

9. Marymount Manhattan College
New York City, New York

10. The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA)
New York City, New York"

 

Take AMDA off any list - that school is such a joke and laughable and not respected in the theater industry

[Alex M]

Posted: 1/17/22 at 6:11pm

Tyler Greenwood said: "1. University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

2. New York University
New York, New York

3. College Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

5. Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Boston, Massachusetts

6. Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

7. Pace University
New York City, New York

8. The Juilliard School
New York City, New York

9. Marymount Manhattan College
New York City, New York

10. The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA)
New York City, New York"

Went to Marymount, what a joke to have that mess of an establishment on any top ten list LMAO

Updated On: 1/17/22 at 06:11 PM

[LaneBryant]

Posted: 1/19/22 at 11:39pm

barcelona20 said: "There are random rankings here and there, but everyone generally agrees on the "top" schools.
 

Just as long as we can all agree that these "top schools" all have "White" in common. And I wonder what criteria goes into making a school "top"....? As someone who spends a lot of time doing workshops and masterclasses with alum from these "top" schools, I can tell you that I spend most of my time doing less MT performance work and 95% of the class doing therapy/trauma work, for all the harm these "top" schools caused (primarily on Black and Brown bodies). It's beyond sad to know that these kids shell out tens of thousands of dollars to let a lot of unhinged teachers tell them all the things they won't/shouldnt/can't do. 

Good luck at the "top".

"

 

[DanielFanning]

Posted: 12/15/22 at 4:35am

It's cool that there are such ranks, but I think that it would have been better also to ask students for their opinion. The perfect thing for me looks like that - the ratings based on "expert opinion" and the ranking based on students' opinions. I have no idea if it's possible to do something like this, but it would have been so helpful. I'm also a student, and I'd like to read such a rating before applying. I've never regretted my decision because I like the educational process; it's exciting but also complicated. I have a chance to visit extra courses, and I have an extra theater curriculum and other things. This semester I started taking a literature and writing course, where we talk and write about different writings and issues. Last time I wrote about education, and if it has to be free. I came across this page https://supremestudy.com/essay-examples/should-college-be-free/ which helped me to finish the paper before the deadline because those should college be free essay examples provided me different interesting ideas, which I added to my writing. And from what I read and wrote, I can say that I don't think that making all the colleges free is a good idea. People value things more when they pay for them. And I think that if the education is quality, it can't be free.

Updated On: 12/15/22 at 04:35 AM

[dianamartin]

Posted: 6/30/23 at 4:32am

Some of the top schools that come to mind include:

1. Carnegie Mellon University - This prestigious university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania offers a highly-regarded program in musical theater that focuses on developing students' skills in acting, singing, and dancing.

2. New York University - NYU's Tisch School of the Arts offers a comprehensive program in musical theater that covers everything from vocal technique to stagecraft and production.

3. University of Michigan - The University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance is widely recognized as one of the best programs in the country for musical theater. The program includes coursework in acting, singing, dancing, and production.

4. Boston Conservatory at Berklee - This conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts offers a rigorous program in musical theater that includes intensive training in voice, acting, and dance.

5. University of Cincinnati - The University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music offers a highly-regarded program in musical theater that includes coursework in voice, acting, dance, and production. drift boss is a successful project of this university.