1
Juilliard School
NY · Acceptance Rate: 7%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Enrollment: 500
Tuition: $54,000
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Top 20 Colleges for Music, Theater and Performing Arts
The best colleges and conservatories for students pursuing music, theater, dance, and the performing arts.
How we ranked these schools
Schools are curated from the most recognized performing arts programs in America, including dedicated conservatories (Juilliard, Berklee) and universities with elite performing arts schools (Carnegie Mellon, NYU Tisch, University of Michigan). Ranked by program reputation. Data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (the federal government's education data authority), Princeton Review, Niche, and My School List's own school database. All figures reflect the most recently available data and are updated periodically. Rankings are for informational purposes only.
2
Berklee College of Music
MA · Acceptance Rate: 42%
Type: Conservatory
Acceptance Rate: 42%
Enrollment: 4,600
Tuition: $51,900
3
Carnegie Mellon University
PA · Acceptance Rate: 12%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 7,400
Tuition: $62,260
4
New York University
NY · Acceptance Rate: 13%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 28,000
Tuition: $60,438
5
University of Michigan
MI · Acceptance Rate: 18%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 18%
Enrollment: 46,000
Tuition: $55,334
6
Boston Conservatory at Berklee
MA · Acceptance Rate: 35%
Type: Conservatory
Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 700
Tuition: $50,000
7
Oberlin College
OH · Acceptance Rate: 30%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 1,900
Tuition: $62,194
8
Northwestern University
IL · Acceptance Rate: 7%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Enrollment: 22,000
Tuition: $63,468
9
DePaul University
IL · Acceptance Rate: 70%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 13,000
Tuition: $44,756
10
University of Cincinnati
OH · Acceptance Rate: 82%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 82%
Enrollment: 36,000
Tuition: $28,024
11
Syracuse University
NY · Acceptance Rate: 53%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 53%
Enrollment: 16,000
Tuition: $60,058
12
Emerson College
MA · Acceptance Rate: 32%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 32%
Enrollment: 3,800
Tuition: $56,128
13
Fordham University
NY · Acceptance Rate: 46%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 46%
Enrollment: 10,000
Tuition: $58,082
14
Pace University
NY · Acceptance Rate: 80%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 80%
Enrollment: 8,500
Tuition: $49,826
15
Ithaca College
NY · Acceptance Rate: 70%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 4,500
Tuition: $51,226
16
Shenandoah University
VA · Acceptance Rate: 82%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 82%
Enrollment: 4,000
Tuition: $38,000
17
Belmont University
TN · Acceptance Rate: 80%
Type: University
Acceptance Rate: 80%
Enrollment: 7,000
Tuition: $40,380
18
North Carolina School of the Arts
NC · Acceptance Rate: 38%
Type: Conservatory
Acceptance Rate: 38%
Enrollment: 1,200
Tuition: $23,000
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