25 Best Drama Schools 2024

“Tuition-free” is changing into the brand new buzzword, as a number of of the world’s prime drama faculties plan to undertake that coverage beginning this fall, together with the graduate packages at Juilliard and USC.

These be a part of a variety of current free packages on The Hollywood Reporter‘s annual checklist of the perfect drama faculties, as they appear to develop accessibility and mitigate the debt many drama college students convey into persevering with training. It’s a giant constructive step in a yr when many colleges have been rising from the pandemic period of largely on-line lessons and leaning into extra inclusive, tech-forward curriculums.

Along with broadening entry to extra numerous candidates and wanting to remain aggressive with recruitment, the push to go tuition-free at USC was spurred on by the writers and actors strikes. “Simply understanding how unstable the business is for these creatives, it’s extraordinarily essential that they not be saddled with tens of 1000’s of {dollars} of debt,” says Emily Roxworthy, dean of the USC College of Dramatic Arts.

THR consulted with members of the business and educators to find out its rating of the perfect faculties for an performing diploma, with elements together with general coaching, value, alumni success and extra. Tuition, when relevant, is listed on an annualized foundation and doesn’t embody housing and different charges, until in any other case indicated.

1. The Juilliard College

New York Metropolis

Juilliard’s MFA in performing program will turn into tuition-free beginning this fall due to items from theater producers Stephanie P. McClelland, John Gore and extra. Because of this, MFA purposes for the upcoming tutorial yr have doubled, says Evan Yionoulis, dean and director of the drama program. Along with the funding, the varsity has lastly emerged from the shadow of COVID-19, with lessons again to in-person as regular: “It’s been a extremely good yr,” Yionoulis says. BFAs and MFAs examine collectively in Juilliard’s four-year conservatory-style program, and a category of 18 college students (which incorporates each grad and undergrad) are admitted yearly. Along with programs on partnering, scene examine, voice and performing on digicam, this system affords college students the prospect to work on 15-minute movies written by alumni playwrights particularly for them, which have premiered on the Soho Worldwide Movie Pageant. Notable alumni embody Jessica Chastain, Adam Driver, Danielle Brooks (The Colour Purple) and Sara Ramírez (And Simply Like That). The fourth yr of the MFA in performing program had already been tuition-free, and it’ll proceed to supply college students with a dwelling stipend for that last yr. Tuition for the undergraduate program is $54,400.

2. Yale College

New Haven, Connecticut

The David Geffen College of Drama, a prime grad program, stays extraordinarily common amongst college students because it went tuition-free in 2021, with many additionally receiving need-based dwelling stipends of as much as $20,000. With the elevated inflow of purposes, and simply 16 college students accepted per yr for the three-year program, the varsity grew to become much more selective, says dean James Bundy. “There’s terrific expertise coming into the pool,” he says. Ninety-three p.c of scholars who’re accepted enroll on the faculty, pointing to its demand, based on Bundy. College embody Ron Van Lieu — who acquired a shout-out from former scholar Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph when she accepted her Academy Award in March — and Christopher Bayes, a frontrunner in clown work and commedia. Along with coaching Meryl Streep, Angela Bassett, Brian Tyree Henry and extra, this system was additionally dwelling to Randolph’s Holdovers co-star Paul Giamatti, in addition to Juliana Canfield and Tom Pecinka, each lauded this yr for his or her roles in Stereophonic.

3. College of North Carolina College of the Arts

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

With alumni together with Stephen McKinley Henderson (Dune), Mary-Louise Parker, Anna Camp (Pitch Good) and Jake Lacy (The White Lotus), the varsity’s robust undergraduate program has positioned an emphasis lately on scholar work and devised theater, added on-camera coaching for college kids throughout all 4 years and expanded its efficiency repertoire to incorporate extra underrepresented voices. The college has positioned an emphasis on variety, and the scholar physique has been majority BIPOC-identifying for a number of years. This previous yr, the varsity added extra alternatives for voiceover work, together with programs on entrepreneurship, and it labored to develop pedagogy for trans and nonbinary performers. Dean Scott Zigler, who has held his place since 2017, is retiring, and alumnus John Langs, previously the inventive director of ACT Up to date Theatre in Seattle, will take over beginning July 1. The college affords solely a four-year undergraduate program, which is $24,231 for out-of-state residents, $6,497 for in-state.

4. Carnegie Mellon

Pittsburgh

Within the faculty’s robust undergraduate program, each performing and music theater college students take the identical core curriculum earlier than shifting into extra specialised coaching, together with lessons on the enterprise aspect of the occupation, with the objective of getting ready college students for work in movie, tv, theater and extra. Its illustrious alumni embody Judith Gentle, Zachary Quinto and Matt Bomer, and a number of other who’ve seen success on Broadway previously yr, with performing Tony recognition for Leslie Odom Jr. (Purlie Victorious) and Sarah Pidgeon and Will Brill (each in Stereophonic). Tuition for the undergraduate program is just below $65,000.

5. Royal Academy of Dramatic Artwork

London

Now below the patronage of King Charles, RADA has appointed alums David Harewood as president and Cynthia Erivo as vp. The college, which additionally counts Succession‘s Matthew Macfadyen and Sophie Okonedo (Gradual Horses) as alums, affords a three-year undergraduate program, with 28 college students a yr concerned in 16 stage productions, three brief movies and extra throughout their research, and a one-year MA Theatre Lab. RADA additionally supplies a well-being service, together with counseling and incapacity companies, for college kids throughout their time on the faculty. Tuition is round $30,500 for undergraduate and graduate worldwide college students.

6. London Academy of Music and Dramatic Artwork

London

Whereas it’s the oldest drama faculty within the British Isles, based in 1861, LAMDA has continued innovating. It employed Philippa Strandberg-Lengthy, a number one instructor of the Meisner Approach, as its director of actor coaching and drama faculty, and is providing digital manufacturing expertise performing and technical coaching to college students in new, totally outfitted studios. On the varsity’s lengthy checklist of storied alumni are Brian Cox, David Oyelowo and Benedict Cumberbatch, who leads the varsity’s board of trustees, with latest alum Amber Grappy, who graduated in 2022, showing on the Netflix collection One Day. Tuition for worldwide college students within the three-year undergraduate performing program is just below $30,000, with the price of the two-year grad performing program near $31,000.

7. New York College

New York Metropolis

NYU’s undergraduate drama program, which counts Pedro Pascal, Rachel Brosnahan and Rachel Sennott (Bottoms) amongst its alumni, affords a major location within the coronary heart of NYC and locations about 1,400 college students in choose skilled coaching studios earlier than they proceed on to additional examine. New school embody Karen Chamberlain, who focuses on instructing the Meisner Approach, and nicHi douglas, who teaches motion within the Experimental Theatre Wing. As a part of a brand new universitywide program, beginning in fall 2024, any undergraduate scholar whose household makes lower than $100,000 is not going to must pay tuition (which is often $68,978). The college’s graduate program, which accepts 16 college students a yr, is taught by leaders of the theater business and has produced quite a few bold-faced names, together with Sterling Okay. Brown, Mahershala Ali and Billy Crudup. Tuition for that program is $76,000, with college students receiving scholarships protecting from 60 to 100 p.c of tuition.

8. Guildhall

London

Guildhall has educated actors together with Daniel Craig, Ewan McGregor, Michaela Coel and Lily James in its three-year undergraduate conservatory performing program, which accepts 28 college students a yr. The college locations an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration with college students within the music and manufacturing arts packages, with assist to create their very own efficiency tasks, and can introduce a B.A. diploma in efficiency design beginning in September 2025. The college lately noticed the departure of Patsy Rodenburg, a longtime school member specializing in textual content, poetry and voice, and its new hires embody famous opera singer Sarah Tynan as head of vocal arts. Tuition for worldwide college students is about $31,000.

9. UC San Diego

San Diego

The MFA program is affiliated with the well-known skilled theater La Jolla Playhouse, a beginning place for a lot of Broadway productions, giving college students a possibility to earn their Actors’ Fairness card. The three-year program is tuition-free and alternates each different yr between accepting lessons of actors and lessons of administrators, playwrights and designers. New hires embody Lisa Portes, previously head of the MFA directing program at DePaul College, as chair of the division of theater and dance. Moreover, the varsity’s acclaimed Wagner New Play Pageant offers MFA playwrights, administrators, actors and designers nationwide publicity, with such performs as Dave Harris’ Tambo & Bones originating there earlier than happening to off-Broadway and world premieres.

10. The Previous Globe and USD

San Diego

Led by actor, director and choreographer Jesse Perez, the two-year MFA program has a concentrate on Shakespeare and a partnership with the skilled Previous Globe Theatre. Seven college students a yr are accepted to this system, which is tuition-free and features a month-to-month stipend. Perez continues to work to broaden the varsity’s conventional classical coaching with a concentrate on variety and programs on Suzuki coaching, clowning, bodily comedy and extra. “It’s my sixth yr because the director of this system, and I’m lastly beginning to see the modifications stick,” Perez says. Nathan Crocker, who beforehand labored at Rutgers College and NYU, was lately employed as the brand new head of voice and speech and can begin in fall 2024.

11. UCLA

Los Angeles

New hires inside UCLA’s Division of Theater embody Michelle Liu Carriger as theater chair and Judith Moreland (Bosch) as head of performing. The college’s graduate performing program was on pause final yr and will likely be paused for the upcoming tutorial yr (although graduate directing, playwriting and design packages are ongoing), as school continues to evaluate and replace the curriculum. The BFA program stays in operation, with latest alumni together with Fernando Carsa (Acapulco) and Ava Lalezarzadeh (Earlier than). In-state prices, which embody housing and meals, are $42,127 for undergrads dwelling on campus and a bit greater than $76,000 for out-of-state residents.

12. College of Southern California

Los Angeles

USC’s College of Dramatic Arts has a brand new dwelling base, with the lately opened Dramatic Arts Constructing, and large information: Its MFA program will likely be tuition-free beginning within the fall. The college, which additionally affords a BFA program, advantages from each proximity and a connection to Hollywood, with nearly all of school persevering with to work within the business, together with Alexandra Billings (Clear), Bayo Akinfemi (Bob Hearts Abishola) and Finola Hughes (Blossom), and plenty of celeb visitor audio system, with Broadway actor MaryAnn Hu newly employed as director of the varsity’s musical theater program. Tuition for the undergraduate program is $69,904.

13. Nationwide Institute of Dramatic Artwork

Kensington, Australia

The drama conservatory has produced such stellar alumni as Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann and Sarah Snook. The three-year undergraduate drama conservatory has been led by John Bashford, former affiliate principal at LAMDA, since 2016. The college lately employed alum Travis Cardona as head of First Nations (referring to Indigenous Australians), and has labored with him to implement First Nations story­telling and practices inside the curriculum. The annual tuition for the BFA is about $23,000 for worldwide college students.

14. College of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

The college’s prime musical theater program fills the levels of Broadway, with present names on the board together with alumni Celia Keenan-Bolger (Mom Play), Bobby Conte Thornton (The Who’s Tommy), Isabelle McCalla (Water for Elephants) and Maya Boyd (who took over the lead function in & Juliet from one other Michigan alum, Lorna Courtney). College member Cynthia Kortman Westphal will take over as interim chair of this system for the subsequent yr from interim chair Linda Goodrich, with a search underway for a everlasting chair to start out in fall 2025. Previously tutorial yr, tuition for out-of-state college students within the division was just below $30,000 and in-state just below $9,000.

15. Brown/Trinity Rep

Windfall, Rhode Island

Lengthy seen by the business as one of many premier drama faculties, the Ivy League program sometimes accepts 12 college students a yr into its tuition-free drama grad program, which is affiliated with the skilled Trinity Repertory Firm theater. This system is now on pause, with neither the MFA performing nor the directing program accepting a 2024-25 class. (This system at the moment has second- and third-year lessons.) College are contemplating prospects for the longer term, in addition to pathways for revising the packages in “daring methods” that talk to the altering theater panorama and the humanities infrastructure at Brown. “At this level, we’re persevering with to discover the chances for the way forward for the packages, and any selections will come as the results of this sturdy, ongoing course of,” says Curt Columbus, Brown/ Trinity Rep’s inventive director.

16. College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

UNC’s MFA performing program is carefully affiliated with knowledgeable regional theater, PlayMakers Repertory Firm, giving college students the chance to play roles in productions. This system accepts a category of six to eight actors each different yr, and all college students obtain a bundle together with tuition waivers and stipends. This permits this system to supply better monetary assist and to “accommodate every particular person actor extra particularly and extra usually,” says Kathryn Hunter-Williams, chair of the division of dramatic artwork. This system now movies showcases of the graduating class, that are despatched out to members of the business, and the scholars then spend every week working with business members in New York.

17. Columbia College

New York Metropolis

The college’s MFA performing diploma is led by casting director James Calleri and actor Peter Jay Fernandez (The Irishman), and has the good thing about being positioned in New York, giving college students proximity to the business, whereas working leisure gamers function adjunct school and visitor lecturers. Previously yr, Scott Whitehurst, previously co-head of performing at The New College, joined Columbia as a full-time school member. Tuition is about $71,000 for the primary two years, with most college students receiving giant scholarships to defray prices, and near $6,000 for the third.

18. Savannah Faculty of Artwork and Design

Savannah, Georgia

SCAD has an on-site casting workplace, below the steering of Mikie Heilbrun, previously a head of casting for The CW/UPN, and a second, lately opened workplace in Atlanta, overseen by Alpha Tyler, former head of casting for Tyler Perry Studios. The workplaces join college students to movie and tv tasks throughout the nation together with Might December, Origin, The Colour Purple and Concern the Strolling Lifeless. The college, which additionally options an 11-acre backlot in Savannah, now affords a BFA diploma in Atlanta, below the steering of movie and tv veteran Craig Anton. Tuition for the upcoming tutorial yr is $41,130.

19. Case Western Reserve/Cleveland Play Home

Cleveland

The Ohio faculty’s three-year MFA program is tuition-free, and likewise contains well being care and a dwelling stipend, and in contrast to many colleges, doesn’t cost an utility payment. Moreover, all college students graduate with an Actors’ Fairness card by showing in reveals on the affiliated Cleveland Play Home. This system has seen a variety of new hires previously yr, together with Eliza Ladd Schwarz, who launched a brand new motion curriculum, and Michael Barakiva, inventive director at Cleveland Play Home.

20. Baldwin Wallace College

Berea, Ohio

The conservatory musical theater program, led by Victoria Bussert, has seen most of its graduating seniors throughout the previous 10 years signal with prime illustration after taking part within the faculty’s New York showcase. Alumni embody Colton Ryan, who obtained a Tony nomination for main New York, New York on Broadway final yr, along with many others who are actually on Broadway or on tour. Tuition is round $40,000.

21. Northwestern College

Evanston, Illinois

With alumni together with Kathryn Hahn, Greta Lee, Stephen Colbert, Broadway actor Brian d’Arcy James and director Michael Greif, the varsity affords a music theater certificates program, helmed by Broadway star KO, in addition to a theater main. The 2-year MFA program is housed primarily in a brand new theater area in close by Chicago, which additionally welcomes visiting artists. Tuition for the upcoming tutorial yr is $64,887.

22. Penn State College

State Faculty, Pennsylvania

This faculty’s aggressive musical theater program accepts 12 to 14 undergrad college students a yr and has seen a number of latest alumni successes, together with Kevin Clay, the present lead of The E book of Mormon on Broadway, and Caroline Bowman, enjoying Elsa within the nationwide tour of Frozen. After main this system since 2018, Rick Lombardo will step down July 1, with school member Aquila Kikora Franklin taking up as interim director. Tuition for out-of-state undergrads final yr was about $40,000 and just below $20,000 in-state.

23. Syracuse College

Syracuse, New York

The college counts Aaron Sorkin and Vanessa Williams among the many alumni of its program, which affords conservatory-style coaching inside a serious college and a partnership with the regional theater Syracuse Stage. This system additionally affords additional connections with the potential for an immersive semester in New York Metropolis, and has been increasing its choices in performing for the digicam and new media. Tuition for the upcoming yr is simply over $61,000.

24. Buy Faculty, SUNY

Buy, New York

Stanley Tucci and Edie Falco graduated from this New York state faculty’s robust BFA program, which continues to coach a variety of profitable graduates, together with Abbott Elementary‘s Chris Perfetti, The Summer season I Turned Fairly‘s Sean Kaufman and Succession‘s Zoë Winters. Susan Shopmaker, a lecturer in performing and BAFTA award winner for casting The Holdovers, is likely one of the newer hires on the faculty, which affords conservatory-style coaching in shut proximity to New York Metropolis. Tuition for out-of-state college students final yr was about $17,000, whereas in-state residents paid simply above $7,000. (These with household earnings below $125,000 can qualify totally free tuition.)

25. Texas State College

San Marcos, Texas

The college is thought for its robust musical theater program, which accepts about 12 college students a yr and has had a few dozen alumni on Broadway, together with New York, New York lead Anna Uzele, and one other dozen on nationwide excursions in the course of the previous two years. As a giant bonus, beginning this fall, college students accepted to the undergraduate musical theater program could have their tuition and costs totally coated. Three co-heads run this system, together with latest rent Aaron Brown, a director. Deonté Warren is becoming a member of this fall as a voice school member specializing in working with voices throughout the gender spectrum. Richard Robichaux, previously of Penn State and UC San Diego, additionally lately joined the drama school.

This story first appeared within the June 19 problem of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click on right here to subscribe.