Best Actor programs in Minnesota, ranked by enrollment
Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film productions, or other settings for entertainment, information, or instruction.
25 schools in Minnesota run programs that feed this job, graduating 143 people a year. The job pays a median of $18.95/hr in Minnesota across about 520 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Minnesota that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
5 programs in Minnesota that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Minnesota (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Minnesota page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 50.0501In Minnesota → | 133 | 93.0% | 22 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 2 | CIP 50.0599In Minnesota → | 5 | 3.5% | 1 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 3 | CIP 50.0506In Minnesota → | 3 | 2.1% | 1 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 4 | CIP 50.0507In Minnesota → | 1 | 0.7% | 1 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 5 | CIP 50.0509In Minnesota → | 1 | 0.7% | 1 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
Top 25 schools in Minnesota
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 25 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $19,982 | 85% | — | 80% |
| 2 | University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $26,751 | 65% | — | 89% |
| 3 | Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $24,671 | 54% | — | 88% |
| 4 | University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 63% | — | 75% |
| 5 | Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $28,601 | 77% | $21,607 | 61% |
| 6 | Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 61% | $23,425 | 63% |
| 7 | Macalester College Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other | — | 87% | $21,441 | 29% |
| 8 | Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 4 | Acting | — | 52% | $23,585 | 82% |
| 9 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 20% | — | — |
| 10 | Century College White Bear Lake, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 31% | — | — |
| 11 | Concordia University - Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 46% | $17,328 | 79% |
| 12 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 66% | $18,163 | 93% |
| 13 | University of Northwestern - St Paul Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $19,541 | 68% | $23,114 | 93% |
| 14 | Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 55% | $16,550 | 39% |
| 15 | Carleton College Northfield, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 90% | $18,669 | 20% |
| 16 | Hamline University Saint Paul, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 60% | $20,981 | 88% |
| 17 | Inver Hills Community College Inver Grove Heights, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 24% | — | — |
| 18 | Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 44% | — | 99% |
| 19 | North Central University Minneapolis, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 66% | $23,452 | 99% |
| 20 | North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 22% | — | — |
| 21 | Riverland Community College Austin, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Musical Theatre | — | 52% | — | — |
| 22 | Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 75% | $19,900 | 91% |
| 23 | Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 45% | — | 62% |
| 24 | St Olaf College Northfield, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 84% | $18,124 | 48% |
| 25 | Winona State University Winona, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 57% | — | 75% |
All 25 schools in Minnesota
Every school in Minnesota with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis | Public | 42 | 1 |
| University of Minnesota - Duluth | Duluth | Public | 27 | 1 |
| Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato | Public | 18 | 1 |
| University of Minnesota - Morris | Morris | Public | 8 | 1 |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | Saint Peter | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | Moorhead | Private not-for-profit | 6 | 1 |
| Macalester College | Saint Paul | Private not-for-profit | 5 | 1 |
| Augsburg University | Minneapolis | Private not-for-profit | 4 | 2 |
| Minneapolis Community and Technical College | Minneapolis | Public | 4 | 1 |
| Century College | White Bear Lake | Public | 3 | 1 |
| Concordia University - Saint Paul | Saint Paul | Private not-for-profit | 3 | 1 |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | Winona | Private not-for-profit | 2 | 1 |
| University of Northwestern - St Paul | Saint Paul | Private not-for-profit | 2 | 1 |
| Bethany Lutheran College | Mankato | Private not-for-profit | 1 | 1 |
| Carleton College | Northfield | Private not-for-profit | 1 | 1 |
What actors earn in Minnesota
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
BLS publishes an hourly wage only for this occupation. The work is intermittent, so no annual figure is estimated.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Minnesota, by employment
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Actors page.
How to become a Actor
Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0- Typical entry education
- Some college, no degree
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Minnesota
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 7 majors mapped to Actors7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 50.0501Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
- 50.0506Acting
- 50.0507Directing and Theatrical Production
- 50.0509Musical Theatre
- 50.0511Comedy Writing and Performance
- 50.0512Theatre and Dance
- 50.0599Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing actors programs in Minnesota.
What degree do you need to become an Actor?+
Some college, no degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General, which awarded 133 degrees in Minnesota in 2024-25, 93.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Actor?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. Together they graduate about 143 people a year in Minnesota.
How much do actors earn in Minnesota?+
The median is $18.95 an hour (BLS OEWS May 2025). This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for actors growing?+
BLS projects a +0.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 6,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Minnesota?+
25 institutions in Minnesota reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do actors work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Actor, Actress, Comedian, Performer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-2011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card