14 Best Performing Arts Schools in the World

By Shailja Sharma

Updated Oct 8, 2026Published Nov 30, 201911 min read

Note (October 2026): An earlier version of this article said the Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts is part of the University of Cambridge; it is an independent school. The list also contains 14 schools, not 15.

The best performing arts schools in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 (published March 2026), are the Juilliard School in New York (1st), the Royal College of Music in London (2nd) and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (3rd). Other leading names include the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Curtis Institute of Music and the Conservatoire de Paris.

Performing arts covers dance, drama, music and musical theatre performed live for an audience. Dance, drama and music performances have been popular since the ancient times. They continue to allure people around the world even in the current times. There are many performing arts schools in different parts of the world.

Best Colleges for Performing Arts

These schools train aspiring dancers, musicians as well as actors. Schools differ widely in focus, cost and selectivity, so applicants usually compare training style, faculty, audition requirements and graduate outcomes before choosing. These schools impart theoretical as well as practical knowledge in the field.

Here are 14 well-known performing arts schools around the world, with key facts checked as of October 2026.

Juilliard School, United States

The Juilliard School is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City, based at Lincoln Center. It was founded by Frank Damrosch in 1905 as the Institute of Musical Art. As of October 2026, Juilliard is ranked first in the world for performing arts in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, published in March 2026.

The school offers several prestigious graduate art programs. It also offers specialized undergraduate art programs. Juilliard has three divisions – dance, drama and music – and a total enrollment of about 950 students.

University of Music and Performing Arts, Austria

University of Music and Performing Arts is located in Vienna. The school came into being in 1817. It trains thousands of students each year. With more than 3,000 students, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) is the largest institution of its kind in Austria and one of the largest in the world. It placed sixth for performing arts in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

It has a team of efficient faculty members. The school imparts practical as well as theoretical education to students. As a result, the students are trained extremely well. Many of its graduates go on to professional careers in music and the performing arts.

Royal College of Music, United Kingdom

Royal College of Music is located in South Kensington, London. It was established by royal charter in 1882. It offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level degree programs, and has more than 900 students from over 50 countries.

The courses in the school cover various aspects of western music. This includes composition, performance, music theory as well as history. As of October 2026, the Royal College of Music is ranked second in the world for performing arts in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

Curtis Institute of Music, United States

The Curtis Institute of Music is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It came into being in the year 1924. The private institute offers performance diploma, Bachelor of Music as well as Master of Music in Opera. It also offers Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. Mary Louise Curtis Bok founded the institute and named it after her father, publisher Cyrus Curtis. Since 1928 Curtis has not charged tuition: every admitted student receives a full scholarship, although students still pay other fees.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, United Kingdom

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is located in Glasgow. It was founded in 1847 as part of the Glasgow Athenaeum and was known as the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama until it adopted its current name in 2011. Today it trains students in dance, drama, music, production and film.

Its forerunner, the Glasgow Athenaeum, also taught literature, languages and commercial skills alongside music. Fees depend on the course and the student’s fee status, so applicants should check the conservatoire’s current fee schedule. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland describes itself as Scotland’s busiest performing arts venue, with more than 500 public performances each year.

The Sibelius Academy, Finland

The Sibelius Academy is located in Helsinki. It is a part of the University of the Arts, Helsinki. It was founded in 1882 by Martin Wegelius as the Helsinki Music Institute and took the name Sibelius Academy in 1939. In 2013 it became part of the University of the Arts Helsinki. It is the only music university in Finland, with roughly 1,400 students.

The Sibelius Academy is a music school; dance and theatre at the University of the Arts Helsinki are taught in separate academies. The academy co-organizes the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition with the Sibelius Society of Finland. It is conducted every five years in Helsinki.

Conservatoire de Paris, France

Conservatoire de Paris came into being in 1795. The conservatory trains students in different dance and music forms. Until 1946, it also trained students in drama. Subsequently, a separate division for drama came into being. It is named the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’art Dramatique.

National School of Drama (or NSD), India

The National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute in New Delhi and an autonomous organization under India’s Ministry of Culture. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and later became an independent school.

This happened in the year 1975. Thereafter, in 2005 it became a deemed university. However, this status was revoked in 2011. It trains aspiring actors as well as theater artists. Many students from this school have become renowned theater artists and film stars.

Institute of Performing Arts, United States

The institute forms a part of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. It trains students in the field of dance and drama. Music is not the institute’s focus: Tisch’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, which teaches the business and craft of the recording industry, is a separate program. It offers complete theoretical knowledge. This is coupled with rigorous practical training. The Tisch School of the Arts itself was founded in 1965 and is divided into four institutes, of which the Institute of Performing Arts is one.

Royal College of Music, Sweden

The esteemed college of music is located in Stockholm. It came into being in 1771. It formed a part of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music for around two centuries. However, in 1971, it became an independent institution. It has produced several renowned musicians.

Department of Theatre at Northwestern School of Communication, United States

The Northwestern School of Communication is a renowned institute. The school traces its roots to 1878, when Robert McLean Cumnock began offering a two-year elocution certificate, and became the School of Oratory in 1891. It offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Its five departments include Theatre and Performance Studies. It trains several aspiring artists every year.

Royal Holloway, United Kingdom

Royal Holloway forms a part of the University of London. The public research university traces its history to 1849, when Bedford College was founded in London. Royal Holloway College itself was founded in 1879 and opened in 1886. The two colleges merged in 1985 as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College. Today the university operates as Royal Holloway, University of London, on its campus near Egham, Surrey. Its School of Performing and Digital Arts includes a Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance and a Department of Music.

Cambridge School Of Visual & Performing Arts, United Kingdom

Despite its name, the Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts (CSVPA) is not part of the University of Cambridge: it is an independent specialist school in central Cambridge that belongs to the CATS Global Schools group. It offers diploma, foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Its subjects span music and performing arts as well as art, design and fashion. Applicants for degree-level courses should check which institution validates or awards the qualification.

Department of Theatre and Drama, Indiana University, United States

The department formerly known as Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance is now the Department of Theatre and Drama in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington; contemporary dance is now listed under the IU Jacobs School of Music. It trains several aspiring artists. It provides training to aspiring theater and dance artists. Its programs have an extensive coursework. The drama school also offers complete hands-on experience. Its degrees include a Theatre and Drama B.A., a Musical Theatre B.F.A. and M.F.A. programs in acting, directing, playwriting and design.

Which Schools Lead the QS Performing Arts Ranking?

The QS World University Rankings by Subject is one of the most widely cited global league tables for performing arts. The 2026 edition was published on 25 March 2026 and assessed more than 1,700 institutions across 55 subjects. The table below lists the performing arts results that could be confirmed from the institutions or from published coverage as of October 2026.

Guildhall School of Music and Drama, founded in 1880, said it rose from fourth place in 2025 to third in 2026, with a performing arts score of 88.8 out of 100. The Royal Academy of Music in London, founded in 1822, is another leading conservatoire in the same city. Neither Guildhall nor the Royal Academy appears in the original list above, but both are worth adding to a shortlist.

Performing Arts Schools at a Glance

The comparison below summarizes the schools covered in this guide, with founding dates and main disciplines checked against the schools’ own pages and reference sources as of October 2026.

Conservatoire or University: What Is the Difference?

A conservatoire, such as Juilliard, Curtis or the Royal College of Music, is a specialist school built around intensive practical training, one-to-one lessons and frequent performance. A university department, such as Northwestern’s Department of Theatre or Royal Holloway’s Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance, usually combines practice with academic study and lets students take courses in other subjects.

Students who want to perform professionally straight after graduation often target conservatoires. Students who want a broader degree, or who are interested in research, directing, writing or arts management, may prefer a university program. Readers weighing different study formats may also find this comparison of online and traditional colleges useful.

How to Choose a Performing Arts School

1. Pick the discipline first. Curtis, the Sibelius Academy and the Royal College of Music focus on music; the National School of Drama focuses on theatre; Juilliard and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland cover several disciplines.
2. Check the audition process. Most leading schools admit students mainly through auditions, and some, such as Guildhall in the UK, take applications directly rather than through the usual national system.
3. Compare total costs. Tuition varies widely: Curtis charges no tuition, while fees elsewhere depend on the program and the student’s residency status. Look at living costs too, and read about ways to pay for college.
4. Look at performance opportunities. The number of public productions, ensembles and industry links shapes how much stage experience a student gets.
5. Prepare the written application. Many schools also ask for essays or personal statements; these college essay and application tips can help.

Music students comparing options can also read the Justwebworld guide to the best music schools in the world, and dance students interested in classical traditions can explore the dance forms of India.

How Selective Are Top Performing Arts Schools?

Admission to the leading schools is highly competitive. According to statistics compiled by U.S. News & World Report, Curtis Institute of Music has an acceptance rate of about 4 percent, with total enrollment of roughly 150 to 175 students. Guildhall’s acting course received 2,610 applications in 2018-19 and made offers to about 1 percent of applicants. Juilliard is also described as having one of the lowest acceptance rates of any US school.

Written byShailja Sharma

Shailja is a post graduate in English Literature. Writing comes naturally to her and she is content doing what she does best - writing and editing. An avid reader, a nature lover and a travel enthusiast are some of the other terms that describe her.

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