Best Drama and Theatre Arts Programs in New York (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Art & Design Colleges in New York
This page ranks the 33 Drama and Theatre Arts programs in New York by median earnings of Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. Manhattanville University leads the list at $48,629, followed by Binghamton University at $47,945 and Ithaca College at $46,563.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $39,770, with a spread of $32,614 from the top to the bottom of the table.
The list splits almost evenly between public and private institutions, with 16 public and 17 private nonprofit programs. CUNY Hunter College ranks 20th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest institutional score on the page. CUNY Hunter College posts the lowest average net price at $2,984.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattanville University · Purchase, NY | $48,629 | $20,991 | $13,548 | 87.3% |
| Manhattanville University ranks 1st on this list, reporting $48,629 in median earnings of Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing from a cohort of 24 graduates. | |||||
| 2 | Binghamton University · Vestal, NY | $47,945 | $21,620 | $12,171 | 38.6% |
| A public university in Vestal, Binghamton University posts an admission rate of 39% and ranks 104th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 3 | Ithaca College · Ithaca, NY | $46,563 | $33,926 | $21,901 | 69.0% |
| Ithaca College shows median federal debt of $26,000 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed, alongside earnings of $46,563 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Fordham University · Bronx, NY | $46,317 | $44,338 | $32,474 | 59.3% |
| With an average net price of $44,338, Fordham University reports $46,317 in median earnings of Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing from a cohort of 32 graduates. | |||||
| 5 | University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY | $45,677 | $20,995 | $14,668 | 74.2% |
| University at Buffalo ranks 5th on this list and reports an average net price of $14,668 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | Hofstra University · Hempstead, NY | $44,388 | $34,176 | $28,219 | 68.1% |
| Hofstra University admits 68% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $26,000 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $44,045 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
| Syracuse University reports $44,045 in median earnings of Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing and ranks 497th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 8 | Long Island University · Brookville, NY | $43,904 | $33,062 | $22,019 | 86.2% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Brookville, Long Island University posts an average net price of $22,019 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 9 | New York University · New York, NY | $42,348 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
| New York University reports $42,348 in median earnings of Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing from a cohort of 416 graduates and admits 9% of applicants. | |||||
| 10 | CUNY New York City College of Technology · Brooklyn, NY | $41,880 | $5,127 | $3,810 | 80.3% |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology reports median federal debt of $10,533 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, alongside earnings of $41,880 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | CUNY Brooklyn College · Brooklyn, NY | $41,233 | $3,103 | $1,029 | 58.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $11,000 in federal loans at CUNY Brooklyn College, which ranks 53rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 12 | Skidmore College · Saratoga Springs, NY | $40,351 | $32,297 | $9,932 | 21.1% |
| Skidmore College admits 21% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $19,500 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 13 | Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, NY | $40,165 | $39,343 | $15,953 | 18.6% |
| Vassar College posts median earnings of $40,165 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 19%. | |||||
| 14 | Marymount Manhattan College · New York, NY | $40,086 | $36,861 | $30,722 | 82.6% |
| Marymount Manhattan College reports $40,086 in median earnings four years after completing, and its Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed left with a median of $27,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 15 | SUNY at Purchase College · Purchase, NY | $39,974 | $18,913 | $11,835 | 74.1% |
| A public institution in Purchase, SUNY at Purchase College ranks 15th on this list and carries an average net price of $18,913. | |||||
| 16 | SUNY Buffalo State University · Buffalo, NY | $39,863 | $11,346 | $7,405 | 73.0% |
| SUNY Buffalo State University shows median earnings of $39,863 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $11,346. | |||||
| 17 | SUNY at Fredonia · Fredonia, NY | $39,770 | $15,897 | $9,395 | 77.7% |
| An admission rate of 78% coincides with median earnings of $39,770 four years after completing at SUNY at Fredonia. | |||||
| 18 | Wagner College · Staten Island, NY | $39,664 | $28,241 | $20,993 | 88.0% |
| Wagner College ranks 18th on this list, with median earnings of $39,664 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | State University of New York at New Paltz · New Paltz, NY | $39,521 | $18,809 | $10,541 | 61.6% |
| State University of New York at New Paltz reports median earnings of $39,521 four years after completing and an average net price of $18,809. | |||||
| 20 | The New School · New York, NY | $39,248 | $58,741 | $50,140 | 63.5% |
| The New School posts median earnings of $39,248 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $58,741. | |||||
| 21 | Adelphi University · Garden City, NY | $37,630 | $30,783 | $24,095 | 65.9% |
| Adelphi University ranks 21st on this list and its Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed left with a median of $24,125 in federal loans. | |||||
| 22 | Pace University · New York, NY | $37,213 | $30,892 | $26,473 | 75.9% |
| Pace University reports median earnings of $37,213 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 76%. | |||||
| 23 | Nazareth University · Rochester, NY | $36,117 | $29,357 | $22,796 | 74.7% |
| Nazareth University ranks 23rd on this list and shows median earnings of $36,117 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Molloy University · Rockville Centre, NY | $34,822 | $24,347 | $17,548 | 81.7% |
| Molloy University posts median earnings of $34,822 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $24,347. | |||||
| 25 | Le Moyne College · Syracuse, NY | $34,283 | $22,277 | $14,535 | 83.0% |
| Le Moyne College, a private nonprofit university in Syracuse, reports median earnings of $34,283 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 26 | SUNY College at Potsdam · Potsdam, NY | $33,581 | $13,624 | $8,623 | 77.7% |
| SUNY College at Potsdam admits 78% of applicants and shows median federal debt of $26,208 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 27 | CUNY City College · New York, NY | $32,769 | $3,776 | $1,251 | 60.0% |
| CUNY City College ranks 27th on this list and carries an average net price of $3,776. | |||||
| 28 | CUNY Queens College · Queens, NY | $31,239 | $4,195 | $1,541 | 64.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $10,298 in federal loans at CUNY Queens College, which reports $31,239 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | SUNY Oneonta · Oneonta, NY | $28,598 | $19,158 | $11,044 | 69.6% |
| SUNY Oneonta posts an average net price of $11,044 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 454th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 30 | College of Staten Island CUNY · Staten Island, NY | $28,055 | $5,579 | $3,903 | 92.3% |
| College of Staten Island CUNY reports median earnings of $28,055 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, with 6 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 31 | State University of New York at Oswego · Oswego, NY | $21,508 | $16,236 | $8,714 | 80.6% |
| State University of New York at Oswego admits 81% of applicants and shows an average net price of $8,714 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 32 | SUNY Brockport · Brockport, NY | $20,824 | $16,353 | $10,911 | 70.7% |
| SUNY Brockport ranks 344th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $20,824 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 33 | CUNY Hunter College · New York, NY | $16,015 | $2,984 | $1,029 | 53.8% |
| CUNY Hunter College ranks 33rd on this list, with an average net price of $2,984 and 29 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Acting graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in New York appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished the program. For 5 of the 33 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or differences in who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 33 schools with a published figure. Manhattanville University leads Binghamton University by a margin of $684, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $32,614.
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