Accreditation for the B.A. in Theater
The Bachelor of Arts in Theater is offered by the Department of Theater and Dance in the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design. High Point University’s SACSCOC accreditation includes the degree.
No audition is required to apply. Prospective students who schedule a visit and submit a recorded audition are considered for departmental scholarships.
University Accreditation
High Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and has been continuously accredited since 1951. SACSCOC has granted HPU Level V status, which authorizes a university to award doctoral degrees.
That accreditation covers every degree the university grants, including the Bachelor of Arts in Theater and the minors in theater and musical theater.
National Rankings for HPU Theater
- Top 20 Best College Theater Programs for 2026, The Princeton Review
- Top 30 College Acting and Performing Arts Programs for 2019 to 2020, OnStage
- Top 25 B.A. Theatre Programs for 2018 to 2019, OnStage
Festivals and Conferences
HPU theater students have presented their work at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, the North Carolina Theatre Conference, the Southeastern Theatre Conference and the American College Dance Association Conference.
The department has developed and produced more than 20 new plays, and students perform each summer with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company through a permanent partnership.
Alpha Psi Omega
Theater students are eligible for Alpha Psi Omega, the national theater honor society, which has an active chapter at High Point University.
Creative Arts Fellows
Theater majors can apply for the Creative Arts Fellows Program, a $3,000 scholarship renewable each year on top of the High Point Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship or Presidential Fellowship. Fellows travel, workshop and build a professional network as a cohort.
Recognition for Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research named High Point University the recipient of its 2025 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments.
High Point University Rankings
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 ranks High Point University #1 for Most Innovative Schools and #3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among Regional Universities in the South. HPU also ranks #1 in its category for Earnings by Major, a new U.S. News factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition ranks High Point University #3 for Best-Run Colleges, #3 for Best College Dorms and #3 for Most Beautiful Campus. HPU is the only university in North Carolina ranked in the top 5 for all three.
Niche’s 2027 rankings place High Point University #1 in North Carolina for Best College Campuses, Best College Dorms and Best College Food, and #8 in North Carolina for Colleges with the Best Professors.
Measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers standards, 99% of HPU’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days, 13 points above the national average.
What Theater Students Say About the Program
Students in Theater and related majors describe how HPU prepared them for their careers.
Madelyn Mudd
Strategic Communication and Theater Performance major · Marketing Coordinator, Steven Tanger Center
“I was able to mold my college career to fit my passions, in addition to getting involved in all sorts of areas on campus, from clubs to honor societies to the Admissions Department.”
Emma Russell
Theater major · Master’s in Acting for Film, New York Film Academy
“I have become a stronger advocate for myself and my peers through my leadership opportunities in my department.”
Rebecca Korn
Theater and Computer Science major · Head Wardrobe Crew Stitcher, Wolf Trap Opera
“High Point University helped me by giving me mentors who made sure I knew my worth and that I didn’t accept a job that would undervalue me in any way.”
Explore Theater at High Point University
See the courses theater majors take and where HPU theater graduates go next.
Curriculum & Research Careers & Student Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Doug Brown, chair of the Department of Theater and Dance, at [email protected].