A Best Colleges rank of 40 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means USC is a great school overall. Students can also perform with the Syracuse Stage, an outstanding Equity theater company, and gain Equity points while still in school. In addition to its bachelor's programs, School of the Art Institute of Chicago offers a Master's Degree in visual and performing arts. The school teaches tap, jazz, and musical theater dance at the highest levels. The Juilliard School. So many schools, but where should YOU apply? Niche User: I have been to the Evanston campus once, but in that visit I was astounded by the... University of Southern California… And for good reason: the school has a long list of notable alumni, many of whom have performed on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall, and in movies and on TV. Located in the large city New York, New School University is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. It's not surprising that many of the program's alumni go on to have illustrious careers. The visual and performing arts program you select can have a big impact on your future. 20. The school is also branching into different performance media, including music production and video game production/design. I started by limiting my search to schools that prioritize dance and drama by only offering performing arts degrees or by having a specialized program within the larger university. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 510 different United States visual and performing arts schools we analyzed. Just because Juilliard is an incredible school doesn't mean you should want to go there. Here are some questions to ask yourself when trying to pick one of these best performing arts colleges. For those interested in something more advanced, Columbia also offers 2 different higher degree levels in visual and performing arts, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. There are roughly 1316 visual and performing arts undergrads studying this degree at New School University. Temple University is located in downtown Philadelphia and houses the Temple Performing Arts Center. The also school takes advantage of its NYC environment by partnering drama students with professional acting studios where they can perform in a wide array of productions led by world-famous theatre artists and faculty. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. Alumni of the dance program have gone on to perform with the American Ballet Theatre, the New York City Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Martha Graham Ensemble. Roosevelt University. … What Are The Top 10 Performing Arts Colleges in The US? This school is world renowned for its MFA Acting program; however, I'd advise against doing the more general BA program, which doesn't give you access to the same faculty or performance opportunities. All rights reserved. Always listed near the top of both drama and dance rankings, Juilliard boasts an unbelievably long list of ... NYU Tisch School … Drama and dance students at UNCSA have many performance opportunities including a senior showcase for industry professionals in New York. For those interested in pursuing a higher degree, California College of the Arts also offers a Master's Degree in visual and performing arts. Most of the schools above require ACT or SAT scores with your application. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. The Theatre at King in Bristol, Tennessee is one of the best performing arts colleges in the US. Northwestern is one of the few drama schools that doesn't require an audition for admission. With so many options it can be difficult finding the best fit for you. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Once you've made this choice, you need to find a school that'll allow you to accomplish your career goals. For those interested in pursuing a higher degree, Berklee College of Music also offers a Master's Degree in visual and performing arts. King University. The department puts on 20 shows per year, allowing for many performance opportunities. While the list of notable alums is long, some names you may recognize include Lady Gaga, Elizabeth Olsen, James Franco, Spike Lee, and Kristen Bell. Look into the programs and see what courses are offered. In addition to its bachelor's programs, RISD offers a Master's Degree in visual and performing arts. These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts award. This list represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts badge. Since music schools tend to differ dramatically (I'm so punny) from drama and dance schools, I've left them out of this article; if you want to read more about the best music schools in the US, here is place to find that information. Undergraduate students at Northwestern have many opportunities to perform in both school-sponsored and student-run shows. Located in the city Brooklyn, Pratt Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population. Art Institute of Houston School. This school ranks 505th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York. Actually, some of these schools only offer a dance or a drama program. That allows students to focus their studies to fit their future careers. If you're looking for a program that can put you on the fast track to an amazing career, Julliard is an excellent choice. In order to help you find the right school for you, I've compiled a list of the best performing arts colleges in the US. There are approximately 145 visual and performing arts undergraduates studying this degree at Cornish College of the Arts. Having said that: you're still setting yourself up for a great career if you earn a degree from any of these universities! Approximately 133,705 visual and performing arts degrees were granted to students last year in the United States. That's quite a pedigree! Kent itself is a small liberal arts community in Northeast Ohio with access to over 25 theatre, music, and dance companies, world-class performing arts organizations and a community of … Located in the large city New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population. The drama department offers a unique, hands-on education that gives students plenty of on-stage opportunities. It's hard to beat California Institute of the Arts if you wish to pursue visual and performing arts as a major. The school is extremely exclusive, selecting only eight to 10 students for the BFA Acting Program, eight to 10 students for the MFA Acting Program, and about 24 students for the BFA Dance Program. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. We'll start our list with the Tier 1 schools, or the best performing arts colleges in the country. A preferred choice for visual and performing arts undergrads, there are approximately 136 learners enrolled in this degree at Kansas City Art Institute. Additionally, at the end of the final semester, students get to perform in an industry showcase in Los Angeles. A preferred choice for visual and performing arts undergraduates, there are roughly 95 learners enrolled in this degree at Pacific Northwest College of Art. The best theater colleges in the U.S., as ranked in 2012 by the Princeton Review, are often home to historic facilities and state-of-the-art costume and set production studios, sometimes located near … Located in the large city Portland, Pacific Northwest College of Art is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. If you're interested in acting, do you want to perform in plays, musicals, television, or film? As many as 40 shows a year are staged at the Wirtz Center for the Performing arts, and another 40 student-led shows happen across campus. Maintaining its top spot in 2019 is Julliard School, which earns a perfect score for its employer reputation and is joined in the top 10 by four other US performing arts schools, two of which are part of the prestigious Ivy League group. Check out our lists of performing arts colleges in New York and performing arts colleges in California. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. Art Institute of Atlanta School. Located in the city Detroit, CCS is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. Julliard School is located in New York. The Juilliard School —Drama and Dance. Located in the large city Los Angeles, Otis Art Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. This college ranks 622nd out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri. Extracurriculars are where you get your experience, so make sure you'll be getting experience in your chosen specialty. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. One of the top dance programs in the US, the Boston Conservatory boasts a faculty of world-class artists who have worked with notable choreographers such as Antony Tudor, Robert Joffrey, José Limón, Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, and Agnes de Mille, and with dance companies such as Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet of New York, and Limón Dance Company. Opened in 2005, the Davis Performing Arts Center is Georgetown University's first building solely devoted to arts education. If you're interested in dance, do you want to do ballet or contemporary? Yale University. In this section, we take a look at other great performing arts colleges that we've classified as Tier 2. Some of Fordham's incredible dance alumni include Ephraim Sykes (who performed in Hamilton on Broadway), Anne Souder (Martha Graham), and Victoria Guajardo (Momix). Yale University is one of the oldest and most prestigious art academic institutions in the US. 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