Theater Arts · District of Columbia
Theater Arts colleges in District of Columbia
CampusPin lists 12 U.S. colleges in District of Columbia that offer Theater Arts programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.
Theater Arts trains students to stage live dramatic productions through acting, directing, and design, fitting people who want to bring stories to life in front of an audience.
Schools in District of Columbia that offer Theater Arts
American University
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$56,543
Acceptance
47%
Enrollment
12,795
Gallaudet University
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$18,382
Acceptance
61%
Enrollment
1,324
George Washington University
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$64,990
Acceptance
44%
Enrollment
25,029
Georgetown University
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$65,081
Acceptance
13%
Enrollment
19,886
Howard University
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$33,344
Acceptance
35%
Enrollment
12,830
Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$30,953
Acceptance
53%
Enrollment
6,966
Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$30,953
Acceptance
75%
Enrollment
7,082
Saint Michael College of Allied Health
Washington, DC · Community College · Private
Tuition
$19,405
Acceptance
64%
Enrollment
123
The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$55,834
Acceptance
84%
Enrollment
5,095
University of the District of Columbia
Washington, DC · University · Public
Tuition
$6,152
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
3,638
University of the Potomac-Washington DC Campus
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$6,660
Acceptance
100%
Enrollment
593
Wesley Theological Seminary
Washington, DC · University · Private
Tuition
$30,953
Acceptance
74%
Enrollment
6,747
Theater Arts programs in District of Columbia: by the numbers
A quick comparison of the 12 schools listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.
Schools listed
12
Public / private
1 / 11
Universities / 2-year
11 / 1
Cities represented
1
In-state tuition range
$6,152–$65,081
Median in-state tuition
$30,953
Lowest published in-state tuition
University of the District of Columbia
$6,152
Most selective
Georgetown University
13% acceptance
Largest by enrollment
George Washington University
25,029 students
Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.
What you'll study in a Theater Arts program
- Acting technique and scene-study studios
- Voice, speech, and movement for the stage
- Play analysis and dramatic literature across periods
- Directing and rehearsal-process fundamentals
- Stagecraft, scenic construction, and shop safety
- Lighting, sound, and projection design
- Costume design, makeup, and wardrobe
- Stage management and production coordination
- Production practicum mounting full live shows
Where a Theater Arts degree can lead
- Director
- Producer
- Stage Manager
- Actor
- Theater Educator
- Production Designer
Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 producers and directors median $83,480).
A Theater Arts major studies how dramatic works are written, interpreted, and brought to life in front of an audience. Students read plays across periods and styles, examine the conventions of tragedy, comedy, and other dramatic forms, and learn how a script moves from the page to a finished performance. Coursework blends time in the classroom analyzing texts with time in rehearsal halls, studios, and shops, where students act, direct, build sets, hang lights, and run the backstage systems that hold a production together. Unlike a Film or Media Production major, which centers on the camera and editing, or a Dance major, which centers on choreographed movement, Theater Arts treats the live or staged dramatic event as a whole and asks students to understand every role that makes it work, from performer to stage manager to designer.
Most students earn a bachelor's degree, often a Bachelor of Arts that pairs theater study with broader liberal-arts courses, or a Bachelor of Fine Arts that concentrates studio and conservatory-style training. Programs are hands-on by design: students complete acting and directing studios, technical-theater labs, and production practicums where they staff real shows, frequently finishing with a capstone or thesis production they help mount. No general license is required to work in theater, and entry usually depends on training, auditions, a portfolio, and accumulated production credits rather than a credential; graduates who want to teach in public schools, however, typically need a state teaching license, and any program-specific accreditation a school holds is worth verifying directly. Graduates work in regional and touring theaters, in stage and production-management roles, in educational and community arts settings, and in adjacent fields such as film, television, events, and arts administration.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of producers and directors, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $83,480 and projects employment to grow about 4.9% from 2024 to 2034; a bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Theater Arts in other states
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