<p>One word of advice for those just starting out on this journey, don’t place too much importance on rankings for theatre programs. There are no official or definitive rankings of colleges which offer degrees in theatre. Each ranking uses a different set of criteria, and some of them are based on something as simple as student surveys. One ranking I have seen mentioned here on CC several times over the years that indicates a school is in a particular ranking for ‘college theatre’, on closer inspection actually was an opinion of the shows produced at the particular college. So, in other words, if more participants ranked a show great at that particular school than ranked a show great at another school, then the first school ranked higher. This is not a good way to go about finding the right school for your student. Read the rankings for a general overview of what schools offer theatre programs, but use it as a starting point in your research process, and not for much more.</p>