Top 10+ Most Prestigious Colleges for Musical Theatre In The US Today

Best Musical Theatre Colleges In The US Today. Photo onstage

Musical theater is a highly competitive industry that requires exceptional talent, education, and experience. Aspiring performers must not only have strong vocal, dancing, and acting abilities, but also a thorough understanding of the craft and industry. The college you attend can have a big impact on your career prospects because it can give you the resources, opportunities, and connections you need to succeed in this demanding field.

This article will go over the best musical theater colleges in the United States. To identify the best programs, we researched and analyzed a variety of factors, including faculty quality, curriculum, performance opportunities, facilities, and alumni success.

What do students do after graduating from musical theatre colleges?

Musical theater careers can be both rewarding and challenging. If you enjoy singing, dancing, and acting, this could be the perfect career for you.

There are numerous career paths available in musical theater. You could work on Broadway, in regional theaters, or on tour. You might also be able to teach, choreograph, or direct.

Whatever path you choose, you must be willing to work hard and be persistent. The competition is fierce, but you can achieve your goals with hard work and dedication.

While most jobs can be tolerated even if they are not particularly enjoyable, performing live cannot. You are there to convey a message, elicit an emotional response, and allow the rest of the world to appreciate your art.

None of this is possible without a strong desire to perform live. Passion may not be as important in other fields, but it is critical in musical theater.

So, before deciding on a college, consider what you want out of life.

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Top 10+ Most Prestigious Musical Theatre Colleges In The US Today

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1. Elon University

Website: https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/arts-and-sciences/performing-arts/majors-minors/music-theatre-homepage/music-theatre-facts/

Elon University's Musical Theatre program features an innovative curriculum, expert faculty, and a long list of recent Broadway alumni (including a recent 2019 Tony Nominee). Elon graduates make industry connections while still in school thanks to masterclasses led by industry professionals.

Beginning in their first semester, students have access to a variety of on-stage performance opportunities that serve as a "laboratory" for them to hone their craft. Elon's curriculum combines conservatory-style training with traditional liberal arts classes, and it also includes study abroad opportunities in places like Greece and London (LAMDA), allowing students to grow and learn in new environments.

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2. New York University

Website: https://www.nyu.edu/

It should come as no surprise that New York's largest university, the city of Broadway, is among the top colleges for musical theater.

At NYU, you can actually attend two different musical theatre schools. The one in Tisch is more focused on acting, while the one in Steinhardt is more focused on music.

The program's study abroad program in London, where students can immerse themselves in the British theater scene and take classes with renowned theater professionals, is one of its distinguishing features. The NYU Broadway Orchestra, which performs musicals and concerts throughout the year, is one of the school's extracurricular activities. Graduates of the program have gone on to star in films such as

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Website: https://www.drama.cmu.edu/

Carnegie Mellon, a conservatory-style program housed within a nationally recognized university, provides rigorous, individualized training through small class sizes. While the program has two tracks, Acting and Musical Theatre, students in both tracks take the same core curriculum in acting, voice and speech, and movement. Study abroad opportunities at the Moscow Art Theatre or NIDA in Sydney are not uncommon for Carnegie's first semester seniors, who have strong international relationships. Many students are cast right after their senior showcase.

4. Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Website: https://bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/musical-theater

The Musical Theatre program at Boston Conservatory offers rigorous training in one of the country's most vibrant theatrical landscapes. The first two years of training are focused on developing foundational skills in all three disciplines (acting, singing, and dancing), with the final two years delving deeper into advanced application and technique. Furthermore, the final year consists of developing the program's Senior Showcase, which includes both an in-person event in NYC and a digital recording for maximum reach and industry exposure. Undergraduate students can also work alongside candidates for the MFA Musical Theatre program.

5. College Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati

Website: https://ccm.uc.edu/

The University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music (CCM), renowned as one of the nation's first Musical Theatre programs of its kind, provides conservatory training to create thriving triple threats. CCM students receive breadth and depth in their instruction, with vocal training consisting of technique-based private lessons combined with "vocal coaching," acting instruction drawing from a variety of theatrical influences, and dance training ranging from ballet to hip-hop. The Freshmen and Senior Showcases, produced in Cincinnati and presented in New York City to a variety of casting directors, agents, directors, and other industry professionals, serve as the program's bookends.

6. Ithaca College School of Music

Website: https://www.ithaca.edu/academics/school-music-theatre-and-dance

The National Association of Schools of Music has fully accredited Ithaca College. If you are looking for a world-class music education college, Ithaca is easily among the best.

Ithaca's Field Studies week in New York for seniors is what sets it apart from other music colleges. The students will spend that week with Ithaca alumni who work in the industry. They will learn everything there is to know about life after college and what to expect from the profession.

7. Florida State University

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fsu_musictheatre/?hl=vi

Resulting in the granting of either a BFA or BM degree in Music Theatre, Florida State University offers a joint program between the School of Theatre and the College of Music. Students can take advantage of a wide variety of performance opportunities throughout the year, including two mainstage musicals per season. Supplemental education via theatre-intensive study abroad opportunities in London provide opportunities for growth outside the studio. At the end of their tenure at FSU, students participate in the Senior Showcase in NYC for industry professionals to jumpstart their professional careers.8.Pennsylvania State University.

8. Pace University

Website: https://www.pace.edu/program/musical-theater-bfa

Florida State University offers a joint program between the School of Theatre and the College of Music that results in either a BFA or BM degree in Music Theatre. Students can participate in a variety of performances throughout the year, including two mainstage musicals per season. Outside of the studio, opportunities for growth are provided by supplemental education through theatre-intensive study abroad opportunities in London. Students participate in the Senior Showcase in NYC for industry professionals at the end of their tenure at FSU to jumpstart their professional careers.8th. Penn State University

9. University of Michigan

Website: https://smtd.umich.edu/departments/musical-theatre/

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a great choice for students interested in a degree in musical theater. U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 19 musical theater students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available.

10. Marymount Manhattan College

Website: https://www.mmm.edu/

Marymount Manhattan College is located in New York City, giving students access to the world’s most preeminent theatrical hotbed. MMC provides a liberal arts education coupled with intense training, such as the Daily Dance program (in which every student trains in dance five times a week). Masterclasses and guest lecturers are also part of the curriculum, with the college bringing an array of industry professionals to work with students during the school year. Performance opportunities are bountiful as they produce full musicals on campus and have Studio Workshop productions at NYC venues (e.g., the National Dance Institute, The York Theatre Company, etc.).

11.The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA)

Website: https://www.amda.edu/

This college offers acting, music theatre, dance theatre, and performing arts programs. If you want to pursue a graduate degree, you can get an M.F.A. in Writing for Theatre and Media or an M.A. in Theatre.

This is the college for you if you want a laser-focused approach to musical theatre.

The school is ranked first in America for Best College for Performing Arts, and admission is relatively easy compared to most other schools on this list, thanks to its 31% acceptance rate. For most musical theatre degrees, the other colleges on this list have acceptance rates of 4 - 5%.

12. Syracuse University

Website: https://www.syracuse.edu/academics/undergraduate-majors-minors/musical-theater/

The Musical Theatre program at Syracuse University trains students in a systematic manner to prepare them for the professional demands of a career in musical theatre. Musical Theatre students can earn Equity Membership Candidacy (EMC) points while attending school thanks to a partnership with Syracuse Stage, Central New York's premier professional theatre (LORT). First-year students focus on foundational training, and second-year students may begin putting their classroom learning into practice. Additionally, students can gain real-world experience in the entertainment industry by participating in the Tepper Semester, a semester-long, NYC-immersion program named after an SU alumnus.

Conclusion

Musical theater degrees are more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #426 out of 1506 in terms of popularity among all such degrees in the country. As a result, there are numerous colleges that offer the degree, making selecting a school difficult. We hope this article will help you make a good decision for that hard choice.

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