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Drama therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a drama therapist. Drama therapists usually study theatre, psychology, or music. 54% of drama therapists hold a master's degree, and 36% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 60 real drama therapist resumes to see exactly what drama therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for drama therapists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online drama therapist courses to help get the education required to be a drama therapist.
What education do you need to become a drama therapist?
What degree do you need to be a drama therapist?
- Master's, 54%
- Bachelor's, 36%
- Associate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a drama therapist?
- Theatre, 57%
- Psychology, 8%
- Music, 8%
- Other Majors, 22%
Most common colleges for drama therapists
| Drama therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 26.67% |
| Kansas State University | 10.00% |
| Florida Atlantic University | 6.67% |
| Mercy College | 3.33% |
| Southeastern University | 3.33% |
Best majors for drama therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theatre | 57.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 7.5% |
| 3 | Music | 7.5% |
| 4 | Rehabilitation Science | 5.0% |
| 5 | Counseling Psychology | 5.0% |
Best colleges for drama therapists
The best colleges for drama therapists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A drama therapist 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 therapists. 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 therapists.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
7. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for drama therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for drama therapists
The most affordable schools for drama therapists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for drama therapists 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 therapists.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for drama therapists
The hardest universities for drama therapists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for drama therapists 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 therapists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
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 therapists
The easiest schools for drama therapists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a drama therapist 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 therapists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
8. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
Average drama therapist salary by education level
| Drama therapist education level | Drama therapist salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,317 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,060 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,953 |
Drama therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025