About
The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) is a private conservatory for the performing arts in New York City, New York, and Los Angeles, California. The conservatory offers master's degrees, bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certificates in professional performance. AMDA is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
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.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 8 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 6 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing0 · 0.0%
- No Data6 · 75.0%
- Failing2 · 25.0%
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.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
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.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
WASC Senior College and University Commission
National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation
Action history · 7
- Nov 2023Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalNational Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation
- Apr 2023Grant Substantive Change: ProgramWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jun 2022Initial AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Apr 2022Grant Substantive Change: ProgramWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Apr 2021Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation
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, 659 students received $4.4M in Pell grants, alongside $32.4M 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 660 borrowers who entered repayment, 4 (0.6%) defaulted within three years — below 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 AMDA
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
- On campus6
Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
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.
AMDA vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions AMDA 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 Musical and Dramatic Academy | 72% | — | 1,452 | $41,019 | — |
Culinary Institute of America | 53% | 91.1% | 3,147 | $31,864 | — |
Mid-America College of Funeral Service | — | — | 279 | $25,456 | — |
Visible Music College | 12% | 28.0% | 89 | $26,181 | — |
| Peer group median | 53% | 59.6% | 866 | $29,023 |
AMDA Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The page only contains the institution's acronym 'AMDA', and no additional information about the Office of Institutional Effectiveness or related details.
Visit IR office page- Jenny RheeVice President of Institutional Effectiveness
Reports & documents (1)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
Notable alumni of AMDA (13)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Nicole ByerEntertainment
- Tyne DalyEntertainment
- Jason DeruloMusic
- Jesse Tyler FergusonEntertainment
- Janelle MonáeMusic
- Jason MrazMusic
- Ray FisherEntertainment
- Caissie LevyTheatre
- Anthony RamosEntertainment
- Michelle VisageEntertainment
- Marissa Jaret WinokurEntertainment
- Paul SorvinoEntertainment
Frequently asked questions about American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about AMDA.
What is the graduation rate at American Musical and Dramatic Academy?
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What is the average net price at American Musical and Dramatic Academy?
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Where is American Musical and Dramatic Academy located?
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