It should come as no surprise that theatre graduate schools in and around New York City benefit tremendously from their proximity to the epicenter of professional theatre in the United States. As it turns out, though, proximity is only part of the story of successful theatre MFA programs; apparently, geography plays less of a role than one might think. Case in point: in their annual ranking of Master of Fine Arts acting programs recently released, the Hollywood Reporter has ranked UT Theatre’s MFA program 11th among U.S. and foreign programs, up five spots since 2017 and up nine spots since 2016.
What, then, are the factors that have allowed UT to compete head-to-head for talented young actors with the notable programs at NYU, Juilliard, Yale, and Columbia?
The answer is twofold: affordability and a direct relationship with a production entity. The UTK three-year MFA program offers a very lucrative financial inducement to selected student actors: fully-funded tuition along with a $14,000 stipend. In addition, the program features the integrated presence of the in-house Clarence Brown Theatre, an entity operating under a professional LORT arrangement (League of Resident Theatres).
Obviously, graduating without a burdensome student debt is an inarguable selling point. With Yale’s annual tuition at $30K, Juilliard’s at $45K and NYU’s at $63K, prospective students must weigh the trade-offs in considering their future.
“Many aspiring actors are drawn to train in major market centers, and historically, Yale, Juilliard, and NYU are the first tier of schools – “the big three,” admits Jed Diamond, head of the Acting program at UT. “However, costs have become a major issue. The fact is that graduating with a degree in acting with a $50-$150,000 debt burden makes it virtually impossible to work in the American Theatre, and only a few of those who graduate hit it big enough in Television or Film—soon enough—to handle that kind of debt burden. There are good actors who realize this, and that there are other excellent training opportunities in a few regional programs like UT’s. While of course there are many advantages to being in a major market, there are also some to being secluded during the intensely focused years of MFA training.”
UT’s favorable position in these rankings over the last few years has made a noticeable difference in Diamond’s recruiting process.
“We recruit 8 actors in odd-numbered years, and the MFA Design program recruits 7 in even-numbered years. This year, I saw right at 1000 actors to get those 8. Typically I see between 800-1000, and interview about 100.”
“So, yes, the jump in the last couple of years has stimulated more interest in our program. Candidates are more aware of UTK than ever before, and the interest is stronger. However, it is still hard to get the best candidates, as they always have multiple offers. … There is another effect in that these kinds of ranking help to broadcast the many excellent programs that UTK has to offer. They burnish the department’s reputation and the College of Arts and Sciences, and UTK’s overall.”
