B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)
at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

4.0 /5

(54 Reviews)

Shiksha popularity ranking

#73 in World

#21 in USA

View ranking details Link Arrow Icon

Private University
School of Drama

Talk to Expert

B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)
at
Carnegie Mellon University
Overview

Carnegie Mellon University offers B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater) to Indian students. It is university's flagship course. The duration of the course at the university is 4 years. While choosing this university, students must pay the tuition fee and living expenses required. To pursue this course, students will have to pay annual tuition fee of USD 63,829 (INR 6,126,946). In addition, students will have to bear the living expenses, including housing, food, transportation, books and supplies, and other miscellaneous expenses. On the average, the cost of attending B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater) at Carnegie Mellon University is around USD 17,468 (INR 1,676,753). Indian students must appear for the following exams and obtain the minimum scores required: IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo

Duration	4 years
Tuition & Fees	₹60.62 Lakh Get Fees details
International Students Admission Website	Go to Website
Official Career Service Website	Go to Website
Course Level	UG Degree

B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)

Table of contents

Overview
Fees
Entry Requirements
Application Process
Rankings
Placements
Highlights
Scholarships

B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)
at
Carnegie Mellon University
Fees

Carnegie Mellon University B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater) fee structure includes first-year tuition fee that all the students have to pay. Apart from the tuition fee, the students also have to spend money on stay, food and other utilities, which comprises cost of living, which is USD 17,468 (INR 1,676,753). The total expense may vary, depending on the additional charges provided by the Carnegie Mellon University. The total first-year tuition fees of B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater) are USD 63,829 (INR 6,126,946).

To know more about Carnegie Mellon University B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater) fee breakup, check out the table below:

1st year tuition fees

Fees components	Amount (for 1 year)
Tuition & fees	INR 60,61,888

Other expenses in 1st Year

Fees components	Amount (for 1 year)
Hostel & Meals	INR 16,58,949
Insurance	INR 2,47,209

Calculated at the exchange rate of 1 USD = INR 94.97075 | Tuition & expenses were last updated on 26ᵗʰ February 2025

View all scholarships

Download exam sample paper

B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)
at
Carnegie Mellon University
Entry Requirements

Requirements for 12th grade Lock Icon

CGPA - 3.78/4
Applicants must have completed their 12th grade

The admitted students average GPA in their previous studies is 3.78

Applicant must have passed high school
4 years English

2 years Foreign Language

10 electives

Convert your Percentage to GPA

Calculate your score and check your eligibility at over 2000+ universities.

GPA

Percentage

CGPA

Percentage

TOEFL

No specific cutoff mentioned
Applicants with a sub score of 25 or more on each section will be considered

Register for TOEFL iBT® Test Today and get Rs 500 Off. Use code SHIKTOEFL to avail the discount. Hurry Register now for TOEFL
Read less

PTE

No specific cutoff mentioned

Sign-up to view details

Convert your Percentage to GPA

Calculate your score and check your eligibility at over 2000+ universities.

GPA

Percentage

CGPA

Percentage

IELTS

No specific cutoff mentioned
7.5 or more in each section

Get a Full FREE IELTS Prep Course with Shiksha Study Abroad – Limited Seats for Weekend & Weekday Batches! Register now for IELTS
Read less

Duolingo

No specific cutoff mentioned

Other eligibility criteria Lock Icon

PRE-SCREEN GUIDELINES: Resume including any training and experience in theater, film, music, and dance as well as academic achievements, work experience, and community service Headshot, TWO short, contrasting monologues from plays The monologues should be selected from one contemporary piece and one classical piece (pre-1900) Should portray characters that fall in your natural age range (teens and 2 The monologues should be no longer than 90 seconds each One should be shot in close-up (head and shoulders) and another showing your full body AUDITION GUIDELINES: Perform two, contrasting monologues, One classical monologue from a play written before 1900 with an emphasis on heightened language, One contemporary piece written in the 20th or 21st century (each monologue should be only one minute) Each monologue should be within natural age range Be sure to read the entire play the monologue is excerpted from so you are able to demonstrate an understanding of the character and situation

Read less

Which exams out of the above do I need to give?

Sign-up to view details

B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)
at
Carnegie Mellon University
Application Process

Step one

Prepare documents for application

LOR

Applicants need to bring their teacher Recommendation

ESSAYS

Submit Common Application essay

Step two

Additional documents required

Submit academic transcripts
Submit English Proficiency Report
SAT/ACT test report
Secondary School Counselor Evaluation
Applicants are also required to submit portfolio or Audition (For Bachelor of Design (BDes), B.F.A. in Drama and Bachelor of Fine Arts applicants)

Step three

Start your online application

https://www.commonapp.org/

Step four

Application fees for this course

USD 75 = INR 7.18 Thousand

Mode of payment: Credit card

University allow students to pay their tuition fee in monthly installments
Students can pay their tuition fee in 3, 4 or 5 month semester-based schedule with an enrollment fee of $40

Step five

Application deadline

Fall (Aug): 1st Jan

*The dates specified are tentative dates as per the previous year records. Our expert counselors can help with exact deadline date. Connect with the expert now!

B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)
at
Carnegie Mellon University
Rankings

University Ranking

Rank	Rank Publisher
#24	University THE (Times Higher Education), 2027
#16	USA Ranking QS, 2026
#20	National University US News & World Report, 2026

View All Rankings

B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)
at
Carnegie Mellon University
Placements

Particulars	Statistics (2021)
Internship Available	Yes

View placement details

Carnegie Mellon University
Students Ratings & Reviews

4/5

49 Verified Reviews Info Icon

Student Views (Based on Reviews)

26% students never faced discrimination in this university

Vibe of Campus

Multi-dimensional

Friendly

Academically oriented

Liberal

Internships3.4

Part time work3

Post study jobs4.4

Quality of faculty4.7

Student Life4.6

Value for money3.5

Public transportation4.5

Safety4.4

Indian Food4.1

Permanent Immigration3

Karshni Mitra Verified Icon

Master of Information Systems Management: Business Intelligence & Data Analytics - Batch of 2023

3.8

Not easy, but memorable and totally worth it.

Tips: The transition was easy if you know what to expect and what not to. You'll do your own chores, cooking, cleaning, laundry, groceries etc. You'll do your own furniture assembly, moving and all that difficult stuff, just like everyone else here. But what you'll gain is experience, friends and learn how to survive on your own. It's all a part of the process of becoming adjusted to life in the US. Good experiences.

Likes (Public transportation): College includes public transport in the fees. Buses, trains, etc. in Pittsburgh, are already included and the connectivity across the city via buses is very convenient. The buses run till late hours in the night, and CMU provides shuttle and campus escorts late into the night when buses are not available.

Dislikes (Permanent Immigration): Chances of permanent immigration/settlement is low since the H1b / Eb2 route has a lot of people from my country, causing extremely high wait times. You can be optimistic, but if things don't work out, have a backup in mind. The US allows you in for study/work realistically, that's all you should expect to be on a visa. If something works out otherwise, I'd call it an optimistic scenario using other routes, not the ground truth.

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1200

Prepping time for classes40 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD 105000

Reviewed on 3 Feb 2026Read more

Anonymous

MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering/MBA (Porto Business School) - Batch of 2026

3.9

Welcoming and open environment.

Tips: There were no major culture shocks apart from the fact that people are more direct in their approach and socialising is more than just an expectation. The culture is very academic and it can get competitive at times. Case studies and presentations are the norm, so you'll have to learn how to be a team player and work with people. There is ongoing support that doesn't subside after the first few days.

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1700

Prepping time for classes31 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD 104500

Reviewed on 29 Jan 2026Read more

Vaishnavi Sreenivasa Verified Icon

Master of Information System Management - Batch of 2026

4.1

All around academic excellence.

Tips: After moving here, I have not experienced any cultural shift, mostly because I think nobody moving after working for a few years and is from a metro city back in India, the lifestyle remains pretty much the same and there are just some more social rules and regulations to keep in mind that probably take a few days to get used to. I was fortunate enough to get 15% scholarship based on my academic excellence and profile. It gets deducted every semester. I am very satisfied with the course and the university. The institution offers excellent academic rigour with outstanding professors and really well designed courses.

Likes (Public transportation): College students have free public transport and this saves a lot of money as a student. There are plenty of options for public buses from the university to travel anywhere you want in the city. The university itself offers shuttle services for students including late night shuttles for those staying back in college post 10 pm.

Dislikes (Permanent Immigration): Chances of me settling in that country are below average because of visa issues and constant changes being introduced for the visa. I value flexibility with respect to travelling and going back to my home in India and because there is so much uncertainty around the visa.

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1575

Prepping time for classes24 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD 110800

Reviewed on 20 Jan 2026Read more

Anonymous

Master of Computational Data Science (Human-Centered Data Science Concentration) - Batch of 2027

3.8

Great to polish yourself academically.

Tips: Studying here will surely be intense. You will have a heavy work load and you will also feel like you're falling behind. Remember that the process is the same for everyone and there are some helpful campus resources you can always take advantage of. I enjoy classroom discussions and the brand value of studying here is unmatched. Labs are well equipped as well and professors have been very helpful.

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1800

Prepping time for classes32 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD 101400

Reviewed on 25 Nov 2025Read more

Kaamya

Master in Biomedical Engineering and Engineering & Technology Innovation Management - Batch of 2027

3.6

Brought out my potential.

Tips: I would say that I underestimated the workload here and after a semester or so I realised the true intensity of studying. You're also surrounded by some of the smartest and intellectually curious individuals, which certainly helps in broadening your way of thinking. Out of classroom exposure is emphasised as much as within the classrooms so make sure you get a chance to experience it all.

Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1500

Prepping time for classes33 hours/Week

Expected Annual SalaryUSD 89075

Reviewed on 22 Sep 2025Read more

View All 54 Reviews

B.F.A. in Drama (Acting Theater)
at
Carnegie Mellon University
Highlights

The School of Drama Acting and Music Theater Option is designed for students pursuing careers in acting and/or musical theater disciplines
Students are introduced to the basic acting skills necessary to develop a versatile acting,
The program is divided into four distinct and rigorous phases of learning, each year consecutively building upon the last
Showcase provides all students with the opportunity to perform before industry professionals in New York, LA and Pittsburgh