At the beginning of each new school year, we here at OnStage Blog like to announce what we feel are the best performing arts for the coming year. For those of you wondering how we select these schools, it starts in the previous spring.

Starting in April, we tasked a committee of just over 20 people to research these programs. They consisted of theatre educators, students, alumni, and parents. We wanted people who knew how to evaluate a performing arts program and what questions to ask. This is what we feel separates us from every other college ranking article, these folks know what’s important in theatre education.

This year we based our criteria on a number of factors including Cost vs. Scholarships, Quality of Facilities, Performance/Production Opportunities, and Post-Graduate Support. We also asked questions about the diversity of students as well as the faculty. We considered not only BFA degrees but also B.Mus and BA’s as well.

Each year, we also like to include a new category that factor into our rankings - on/off-campus safety. We feel this is a factor that is often not made a priority. So in addition to cold-calling the schools, we also took a look at their Clery Reports and asked questions about how proactive these schools are when it comes to safety.

This year we also decided not to rank the schools 1-30. When looking at the scores, often these schools were separated by one to two points. So rather, this year we’re simply naming who we feel are the best, in no particular order.

We must also preface this by saying that while these are some great schools to start your search with, ultimately the best college theatre program out there is the one you feel most confident and comfortable attending.

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When it comes to Musical Theatre degrees, there are a lot of them offered all over the country. What aspiring students should look for are the programs that are constantly evolving with the industry and not relying on old formulas. In our research this year, we found 30 programs that we feel are truly striving to make sure their students are properly prepared for the realities of the industry in the 2020’s.

Baldwin Wallace University - Berea, OH

Why we love it: They presented their annual NY showcase at New World Stages with four performances over two days for more than 200 industry professionals. Every student signed with representation and two are already out on National Tours. This is the 10th year in a row that they have had a 100% sign rate at this event. The Cleveland Orchestra, recognized as one of the best orchestras in the world, invited BWMT students to perform their first-ever musical, SOUTH PACIFIC.

Viterbo University - La Crosse, WI

Why we love it: Students in all degree programs are considered part of the department’s theatre “company.” All majors are required to be actively involved in each production through design, performance, and technical support in one of the shops or in service as a member of a production crew. Through practical experiences in all aspects of theatre, students enhance their knowledge and gain a respect and appreciation for theatre as a collaborative art form.

Texas State University - San Marcos, TX

Why we love it: Incoming freshman as part of their Intro to Musical Theatre class have an hour long lab once a week for the fall semester that covers 6 life skills (coping, communication, problem-solving, time management, leadership, goal setting), mindfulness techniques, stress management skills, brain science of stress, meditation, and more.

Pace University - New York, NY

Why we love it: Incredible faculty include Amy Rogers, who created and developed the BFA Musical Theatre degree program in 2002. In addition to directing many acclaimed productions, Rogers has literally written the book when it comes to college auditioning. The Ultimate Musical Theater College Audition Guide: Advice from the People Who Make the Decisions offers an honest, no-nonsense guide to the musical theatre audition. The book also includes advice from over 10 top-tier program directors and faculty, as well as examples from students, parents, and experts currently working on Broadway.

The Hartt School - Hartford, CT

Why we love it: In the fourth year, students are in residence at Goodspeed Musicals for three weeks in January working on a Festival of New Musicals. Music Theatre students may also audition for the Hartford Stage Company's annual production of A Christmas Carol as well as other Equity productions in the company's season.

Ithaca College - Ithaca, NY

Why we love it: During the second year, students earn a variety of techniques including acting ensemble skills, Viewpoints, mask work and develop their speaking voice by working with heightened text. Studies will progress in dance (ballet and modern), music theory, and sight-singing, along with continuing private voice lessons and repertoire class.

The University of Arizona - Tucson, AZ

Why we love it: All Freshman BFA Acting majors are in the Debut ensemble and create and perform an original production focused on the process of acting. Freshman Musical Theatre majors perform in a specially-created revue that celebrates the Broadway musical and the American Songbook.

Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau, MO

Why we love it: Musical theatre majors have the opportunity to perform in six main stage productions each year, two second stage productions, the Fault Line Film Festival, perform in voice concerts, and audition for employment at regional and national theatre festivals.

Carnegie Mellon University - Pittsburgh, PA

Why we love it: A unique partnership of the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the national American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP), and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO). Through this partnership, students work with professional musical theater leaders to create and present new musical work. School of Drama alumnus, Stephen Schwartz, (of “Wicked,” “Godspell” and “Pippin” among other works) often returns to the School of Drama during this time to lead workshops and support this collaboration.

University of Miami - Coral Gables, FL

Why we love it: Coursework includes “Music in the American Theatre: Its Dramaturgy, Music, and Cultural”. A survey of the history of musical theater In America, from its earliest days with American colonial works to our present era of Internet-facilitated global artistic exchange. As a result, the course encompasses a vibrant diversity of intimately related musical-theatrical forms, styles, methods, and cultural responses, represented by such heterogeneous labels as ballad opera, minstrel show, operetta, and mega-musical, to name just a few.

Nebraska Wesleyan University - Lincoln, NE

Why we love it: Faculty include Julie Heaton. She has worked in various capacities in theatre, as an actress, choreographer, music director, and stage director over the last 20 years. While a member of the Tabernacle Choir, she was privileged to perform in such places as Yankee Stadium and Carnegie Hall and took part in two projects that yielded Emmy awards. She is the Head of Musical Theatre at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

NYU Tisch School of the Arts - New York, NY

Why we love it: The New Studio on Broadway integrates foundational acting training with vocal and physical techniques drawing upon the repertoire of the American musical, contemporary American plays, and the traditional classical canon to hone the actor's instrument in all aspects of all three disciplines essential to be an actor in the Musical Theatre: Acting, Singing and Dancing.

Kent State University - Kent, OH

Why we love it: This year, the school is bringing in Mark Valdez as the Visiting Director in Spring and award-winning choreographer, Martin Cespedes will choreograph Hair in Fall. 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 artists. The School’s partnership with the Cleveland based Musical Theatre Project is another great advantage for students.

Shenandoah Conservatory - Shenandoah, VA

Why we love it: There are two main stage musicals each year and one black box musical that all students (freshmen through seniors) are required to audition for. There are also three black box plays and one main stage play that musical theatre majors are required to audition for. Shenandoah Conservatory produces more than 400 performances each year.

Point Park University - Pittsburgh, PA

Why we love it: The theatre curriculum includes a Professional Seminar course that focuses on the business aspects of an artistic career. Each year, the Conservatory hosts a senior Showcase in New York for all B.F.A. acting and musical theatre majors as their capstone project. Agents, managers and casting directors are invited to review student performances. B.F.A. theatre arts majors create an original performance as their capstone project.

Marymount Manhattan College - New York, NY

Why we love it: Taking advantage of our New York City location, master classes and lectures have been and continue to be offered by Broadway’s finest such as Betty Buckley, Jeff Calhoun, Donna McKechnie, Lonny Price, Frank Wildhorn, Chita Rivera, Stephen Sondheim, Adam Guettel and Tommy Tune.

Elon University - Elon, NC

Why we love it: Outstanding faculty include Brian Kremer, Interim Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Music Theatre. He teaches courses in voice specializing in contemporary singing and performance styles including music theatre, rock, pop, country, R&B and hip-hop. Beyond the classroom, he is co-author of “The Singing Teacher’s Guide to Transgender Voices”; the first comprehensive resource developed for the training of transgender and nonbinary singers.

Boston Conservatory at Berklee - Boston, MA

Why we love it: Recent master class artists and guest artists include Tony Award winners Billy Porter (Kinky Boots) and Sutton Foster (Anything Goes, The Music Man); Oscar winner Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody); visionary director Anne Bogart (coartistic director of SITI Company) and legendary choreographer Susan Stroman (winner of five Tony Awards).

Penn State University - University Park, PA

Why we love it: The Penn State Musical Theatre Wellness Center is dedicated to the physical, mental, vocal, and nutritional health of our students. Six trained wellness professionals work in a highly collaborative student-driven model that most resembles services provided by college athletic programs. Providers include two counselors, a physical therapist, ENT/ laryngologist, nutritionist, and medical doctor. Services include mental health appointments, vocal health maintenance checkups and scopes, a nutrition fueling station, and physical therapy appointments.

New York Film Academy - New York, NY

Why we love it: New York Film Academy's cutting-edge two-year program merges Musical Theatre and Acting for Film programs so that students interested in musical theatre and film are able to study the various aspects of both genres including a deep exploration of movie musicals. Students participate in a broad array of musical theatre and film classes that focus on helping them find the actor within, expand their vocal and physical range, and guide them to learn and apply the emotional, physical, and technical work necessary for quality film acting.

Wright State University - Dayton, OH

Why we love it: The Honors Program in Acting and Musical Theatre provides superior students with further opportunity to demonstrate excellence and receive special recognition in their senior year. Honors students create a capstone project, such as a self-written monodrama, a one-person recital, directing a production, or other projects that are mutually agreed upon with the student’s advisor.

CAP21 at Molloy College - Rockville Centre, NY

Why we love it: Students enrolled in the program will move together through their courses both on Molloy's Rockville Centre campus, located 40 minutes outside of New York City, and at Molloy/CAP21's newly-renovated, state-of-the-art Manhattan Center located at 50 Broadway. The Molloy College/CAP21 BFA Program boasts of offering a weekly private voice lesson to each student for all four years of study.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI

Why we love it: Musical Theatre majors often participate in MUSKET shows (student-produced musicals), Gilbert and Sullivan Society operettas, faculty-directed plays, and productions by the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre as well as the Michigan Opera Theatre. The University is also affiliated with the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Michigan, founded by actor Jeff Daniels. Musical Theatre and Theatre students produce around 20 plays each year through the Basement Arts company. Students select the plays which they direct, design and perform.

Otterbein University - Westerville, OH

Why we love it: Esteemed faculty include Thom Christopher Warren, Associate Professor, who made his Otterbein directorial debut last spring with “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” followed by “Big Fish” in the fall of 2018. Mr. Warren comes to campus directly from the Broadway company of Disney’s “The Lion King” having worked for over fifteen years both onstage (Scar, Zazu, Timon, Pumbaa, and Ed) and off, having toured with the show as Resident Director and serving on the creative team alongside legendary Director Julie Taymor, for the Chinese production in Shanghai.

Montclair State University - Montclair - NJ

Why we love it: Montclair State boasts exceptional performance facilities with impressive technical specifications. Students perform in six well-equipped theatres, including the state-of-the-art Alexander Kasser Theater; the 946-seat Memorial Auditorium; our 2000-seat amphitheater, and the intimate L. Howard Fox Theatre.

Syracuse University - Syracuse, NY

Why we love it: Beginning in Fall 2019, the Department of Drama will offer a concentration in musical performance within the B.F.A. acting degree. The actor-singer track is an expansion of our rigorous B.F.A. acting program. It offers talented actor-singers the opportunity to work on musical skills, song analysis, vocal production, and acting in song.

Texas Christian University - Ft. Worth, TX

Why we love it: The department encourages students to audition for local Dallas-Fort Worth theatres while at TCU, if their semester schedule and TCU commitments allow time for outside work. In rotation with bi-annual co-productions with local theatres, Theatre TCU also produces a musical bi-annually at the 500-seat Scott Theatre located in the Fort Worth Cultural District. Musical theatre students along with the other theatre disciplines learn what it’s like to mount a traveling show.

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy - New York, NY

Why we love it: Each term, AMDA mounts a season of productions that may include full-length plays and musicals, anthologies of classic and contemporary works, and/or dance exhibitions featuring original choreographed pieces. Recent mainstage performances include Rent, Pippin, Balm in Gilead and Serious Money.

College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, OH

Why we love it: Musical Theatre at CCM is book-ended by showcases, a Freshman Showcase which serves as a debut for the incoming class and a Senior Showcase which serves as a "Capstone" Experience. Each year the graduating class in Musical Theatre travels to New York to present a showcase for agents and casting directors.

Long Island University Post - Brookville, NY

Why we love it: Beyond working with acclaimed performers and instructors on and off-campus, students at LIU Post gain outstanding direction and leads through LIU Post’s offices of Cooperative Education and Career Services. Career counselors in the LIU Post Division for Student Success meet with students one-to-one to discuss career options in theatre arts, including those best suited to graduates of the Musical Theatre concentration.

The Top 30 College Musical Theatre Programs for 2019-2020