American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York
About
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private drama school with one location in New York City; it formerly had another location in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related arts in the areas of theater, film, and television. Students also have the opportunity to audition for the third-year theater company, which showcases upcoming talent to the school and community. Students can usually transfer completed credits to another college or university to finish a bachelor's degree if they choose.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 5 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 4 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing0 · 0.0%
- No Data4 · 80.0%
- Failing1 · 20.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of Education
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 5
- Nov 2022Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Apr 2022Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation
- Jan 2021Approved for Distance EducationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- May 2020Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation · Theatre (THEA) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 71 students received $439K in Pell grants, alongside $2.6M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 178 borrowers who entered repayment, 7 (3.9%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at AADA
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
AADA vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions AADA selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York | 96% | — | 187 | $54,625 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service | — | — | 270 | $21,682 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service | — | 86.4% | 254 | $42,938 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
Dallas Institute of Funeral Service | — | — | 454 | $19,845 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
Delaware College of Art and Design | — | 61.0% | — | $31,763 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service | — | — | 338 | $21,563 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
Helms College | — | — | 183 | $21,117 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
John A Gupton College | — | 100.0% | 166 | $19,772 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science Inc | — | 49.0% | 374 | — | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
Young Americans College of the Performing Arts | — | 100.0% | 15 | $32,938 | Special Focus Two-Year: Arts & Design |
| Peer group median | 96% | 86.4% | 254 | $21,682 |
AADA Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The page is from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts website, listing various sections such as About, Programs, Admissions, Events, and Alumni. There is no specific information related to an Office of Institutional Research or equivalent office mentioned in the provided text.
Visit IR office pageReports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planStrategic plan2026The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is committed to offering quality dramatic arts education and training. The institution provides programs such as the Two-Year Conservatory Program and the Third-Year Company Program, allowing students to deepen their theatrical skills and industry knowledge. The Academy emphasizes a legacy of excellence through its faculty and notable alumni.aada.edu
Frequently asked questions about American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about AADA.
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