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Drama teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a drama teacher. Drama teachers usually study theatre, english, or education. 68% of drama teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,352 real drama teacher resumes to see exactly what drama teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for drama teachers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online drama teacher courses to help get the education required to be a drama teacher.
There are certain drama teacher certifications that you should consider. These drama teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Registered Drama Therapist (RDT/BCT).
What education do you need to become a drama teacher?
What degree do you need to be a drama teacher?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 3%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a drama teacher?
Most common colleges for drama teachers
| Drama teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 13.29% |
| Arizona State University | 5.59% |
| Emerson College | 5.59% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.59% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.59% |
Best majors for drama teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theatre | 29.3% |
| 2 | English | 9.7% |
| 3 | Education | 9.7% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 8.3% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 6.8% |
Best colleges for drama teachers
The best colleges for drama teachers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A drama teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for drama teachers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become drama teachers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for drama teachers
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4. The Art of Public Speaking
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6. Public Speaking with Canva
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16. Anatomy Art School: Anatomy Drawing Course
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17. The Complete Presentation and Public Speaking/Speech Course
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18. Character Art School: Complete Coloring and Painting
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19. Building Confidence Through Drawing: Art for Beginners
22 Drawing Lessons for Beginners. Course is perfect for engaging after-school activities or homeschool art projects...
20. Pixel Art Fundamentals: Introduction to 2D Game Pixel Art
Make 2D Art for Video Games Using Libresprite / Aseprite. Create icons, images, HUD, simple animations and game scenes...
Top 10 most affordable universities for drama teachers
The most affordable schools for drama teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for drama teachers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for drama teachers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for drama teachers
The hardest universities for drama teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for drama teachers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for drama teachers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for drama teachers
The easiest schools for drama teachers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a drama teacher without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for drama teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average drama teacher salary by education level
| Drama teacher education level | Drama teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,522 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,536 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,080 |
Drama teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025