I was a musical theatre and arts administration double major in college and continue to work professionally in theatre, film and television. While I would not recommend my own alma mater (which I won’t mention here as it’s beyond the scope of the thread, but happy to discuss in the DMs), I’m happy to mention some of the schools I don’t often hear mentioned on CC, including schools I have some personal experience with and schools friends and colleagues of mine attended.
Oakland University in Rochester, MI - David Gram, who is one of the acting and directing professors at Oakland, changed my life when I was doing my first professional theatre job. He is one of the best, most student-centered directors and educators I have ever worked with. It’s my understanding that the rest of the faculty is equally as strong. This is also one of the only undergraduate programs in the US to be directly associated with an Equity theatre (Meadow Brook Theatre), which is a real boon for their students as this is something that is more typically reserved for graduate programs.
Stephens College in Columbia, MO - If your child is looking for a women’s college experience without compromising on conservatory-style training, I think Stephens is probably the place for them. It’s a women’s college but does also admit students of all gender identities into its BFA programs. They have a really interesting structure for their BFA degrees - their programs are 3 years long, which is good for the young artist who really wants to get working quickly or the family for whom a 4 year degree may be cost-prohibitive. Because the degree is done in 3 years, students spend two summers working at the Okoboji Summer Theatre, a summer stock which is owned and operated by the college.
Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec - This English-language LAC in Quebec is such a hidden gem! It’s one of Canada’s only institutions where you can major in Music or Drama (both BA, but performance-based rather than theory-based) and take a concentration in musical theatre without an audition, making this a great safety for students who are less confident about their odds of acceptance at hyper-competitive audition-based programs. Gorgeous venues, a great student theatre culture, and great opportunities to add on an arts administration certificate or double major if a student so chooses. If their musical theatre concentration had existed when I was a high school senior, I probably never would have left Canada for university (and I would have saved my parents so much money that way)! Learn from my mistakes–with the weak Canadian dollar right now, this school may be a bargain for American families!
Butler University in Indianapolis, IN - I spent a lot of time here when I was an undergrad as the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival regional festivals were held here two years in a row. Every time I went down, I wanted to stay! This is a place with absolutely GORGEOUS theatre facilities. Although all theatre students have to audition or have a portfolio review to be admitted, it’s my understanding that this program is far less competitive than other audition-based programs. I especially love the way they talk about doing BFA vs. BA degrees (Butler’s only BFA is their BFA in acting): “Students who specifically want to focus on acting may decide between either the BFA in Acting or the BA in Theatre with an Acting emphasis. Unique to Butler Theatre is the ability for students to choose between either degree program. If they’re admitted to the Department of Theatre, they can make the decision as to which program they want to pursue—and can change their mind throughout their time at Butler. We support and empower our students to develop their individual student voice and to choose their own path to success.” Students in the BA program can also add an emphasis in Musical Theatre, for those who are looking for a lower-stakes MT admit. Indy is also a great midsize theatre market and it’s my understanding that a lot of students work professionally at various Equity theatres before graduating.
Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA - One of the most talented actors I’ve ever worked with came out of this program, and I’m not sure why it’s not talked about all the time! A caveat: This is a secondary admission program. That is, “all freshman and transfer students entering the department are initially classified as Theatre Foundation students. After successfully completing the first two years of core theatre courses in their foundation areas of emphasis, students apply for admission to a specific degree program (B.F.A. or B.A.).” As someone who doesn’t believe in cut programs or secondary admission broadly for theatre (make a 4-year commitment to your young artists once at the start of the program or don’t make the commitment at all!), the reason why I want to highlight this program is because VCU also houses a graduate degree in Performance Pedagogy. That is, this is one of the only theatre departments in the country that is actively teaching artists HOW to teach theatre at the post-secondary level. There are so many theatre departments across the country who have hired artists with no pedagogical background to teach their students, believing that a Broadway credit is an adequate prerequisite to teach young artists. It’s not. Because of VCU’s commitment to performance pedagogy as a discipline (and seeing how well-placed their MFA PP grads are on the academic job market), this would be one program with secondary admission that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to students, because I know that any sophomore year “cuts” wouldn’t be made on an arbitrary basis (as these cuts often are in other programs) but would actually be grounded in pedagogy.