Actor: where to study
Every U.S. school that awarded one of the 7 programs NCES links to this career in 2023-24, certificate to doctorate. A complete list, not a ranking.
NCES IPEDS
- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Find a school
Filter by state, program, award level and type of school. Each result links to the school's College Navigator profile (costs, admissions, graduation rates) and its own site.
Loading 906 schools…
Programs that lead to this career
The NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk links SOC 27-2011 to these programs. Awards in 2023-24, all levels, first majors. NCES
View source
| Program | CIP code | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | 50.0501 | 10,153 |
| Acting | 50.0506 | 1,659 |
| Directing and Theatrical Production | 50.0507 | 202 |
| Musical Theatre | 50.0509 | 1,110 |
| Comedy Writing and Performance | 50.0511 | 35 |
| Theatre and Dance | 50.0512 | 119 |
| Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other | 50.0599 | 426 |
By award level: (awards, not schools).
Largest programs by awards
Size tells you where many students study, not which program is best for you.
| School | Location | Type | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Musical and Dramatic Academy | New York, NY | 4-year · Private nonprofit | 612 |
| New York University | New York, NY | 4-year · Private nonprofit | 448 |
| New York Film Academy | Burbank, CA | 4-year · Private for-profit | 214 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | 4-year · Private nonprofit | 158 |
| Columbia College Chicago | Chicago, IL | 4-year · Private nonprofit | 148 |
| Texas State University | San Marcos, TX | 4-year · Public | 148 |
| American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York | New York, NY | 2-year · Private nonprofit | 126 |
| Marymount Manhattan College | New York, NY | 4-year · Private nonprofit | 110 |
| Emerson College | Boston, MA | 4-year · Private nonprofit | 109 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 4-year · Private nonprofit | 108 |
Schools in each state
How many schools in each state awarded one of these programs in 2023-24. Each state page lists all of its schools with cost and completion.
- Alabama13 schools
- Arizona13 schools
- Arkansas10 schools
- California127 schools
- Colorado11 schools
- Connecticut13 schools
- District of Columbia6 schools
- Florida23 schools
- Georgia23 schools
- Hawaii2 schools
- Idaho6 schools
- Illinois31 schools
- Indiana25 schools
- Iowa17 schools
- Kansas11 schools
- Kentucky16 schools
- Louisiana9 schools
- Maine5 schools
- Maryland13 schools
- Massachusetts32 schools
- Michigan24 schools
- Minnesota26 schools
- Mississippi8 schools
- Missouri22 schools
- Montana2 schools
- Nebraska8 schools
- Nevada3 schools
- New Hampshire5 schools
- New Jersey11 schools
- New Mexico5 schools
- New York67 schools
- North Carolina30 schools
- North Dakota1 school
- Ohio32 schools
- Oklahoma11 schools
- Oregon14 schools
- Pennsylvania43 schools
- Rhode Island7 schools
- South Carolina15 schools
- South Dakota4 schools
- Tennessee18 schools
- Texas62 schools
- Utah9 schools
- Vermont5 schools
- Virginia27 schools
- Washington11 schools
- West Virginia6 schools
- Wisconsin15 schools
- Wyoming6 schools
Registered Apprenticeship
A Registered Apprenticeship Program is a model of apprenticeship validated by the Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency Linked from apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-occupations. Term lengths are hours of on-the-job learning; time-based programs list one figure, hybrid programs a range.USDOL
View sourceUSDOL
| Apprenticeship occupation (DOL title) | RAPIDS code | O*NET occupation | Term (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actor | 0862 | Actors (27-2011.00) | Time-Based 4000 Hybrid 4000–5000 Competency-Based 4000 |
Search open apprenticeship jobs on Apprenticeship.gov · What a Registered Apprenticeship is
About this list
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- IPEDS Completions, 2023-24 (complete data file C2024_A) · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- College Scorecard data, Most Recent Institution-Level file (release of 15 Oct 2026) · U.S. Department of Education checked 2026-10-21
- Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020, code file · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-21
- Approved occupations for Registered Apprenticeship (spreadsheet: RAPIDS code, type, minimum term) · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship (Apprenticeship.gov) checked 2026-10-21
- College Navigator · National Center for Education Statistics checked 2026-10-07