Theater News

Starting Next Year, the Graduate Acting Program at Juilliard Will Be Tuition-Free

The four-year actor training is an incredible opportunity — if you can get in.

The Juilliard School as seen from Lincoln Center Theater.
(© Natalie Maynor)

Starting in fall of 2024, tuition for the Juilliard School’s MFA acting program will be completely free, according to a report in the New York Times.

Full-freight tuition at Juilliard for both undergraduate and graduate drama students is currently $53,300 a year, although most students receive some financial assistance. That assistance will now be 100% for graduate acting student following a fundraising push that has raised $15 million, a significant amount of which came from the Broadway producers Stephanie P. McClelland (Merrily We Roll Along) and John Gore (Broadway Across America).

Juilliard is regularly ranked among the best actor training programs, with prominent alumni including Patti LuPone, Robin Williams, and Danielle Brooks. It’s a name that promises to open doors in a notoriously competitive industry, although getting in is no easy feat. According to the school’s website, the graduate acting program accepts 8-10 students per year.