For the third consecutive year, The Hollywood Reporter’s ranked Lakeview-based DePaul theatre school number 18 out of the top 25 drama schools that are the best places to earn a Masters of Fine Arts degree.
Besides casting directors, THR expanded its annual polling to include members of the SAG Foundation and the schools themselves, asking them to rank their competitors, and other experts.
DePaul was ahead of bigger and better known Columbia, Circle in the Square and The William Esper Studio, New York and Boston University.
THR writes: The 6-to-1 student-teacher ratio makes this small program one of the more intimate acting-school experiences. But it attracts plenty of jumbo-sized speakers. Master classes have been taught by F. Murray Abraham and Faye Dunaway, and there have been lectures by David Mamet, Julie Harris, Jonathan Pryce, John Malkovich and Gary Sinise. Recent alums include Stana Katic (Castle) and W. Earl Brown (Deadwood).
Again topping the list were Yale, Julliard and Tisch School of the Arts, NYU, scaling down to London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, USC School of Dramatic Arts, A.R.T. at Harvard, Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art and Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon.
In previous years, THR’s poll included Northwestern and The Second City.
