Acting Careers Start at Columbia
Develop the Skills to Succeed in Today's Acting Industry
Earn your bachelor's degree in Acting for Stage and Screen at Columbia College Chicago. The acting program (both the flexible BA and the rigorous BFA) is designed with hands-on training in both theatre acting and film acting, preparing you for work across media. From your first semester, you'll start performing and learning practical skills—like physical theatre, stage combat, and on-camera techniques—along the way.
As an acting major, you can expect to:
- Train and perform like a pro. Work across four professional stages, supported by a complete scene and costume department and a makeup and prosthetics lab.
- Step in front of the camera. Collaborate with Columbia's film and television program and perform in student-directed films on a professional soundstage.
- Audition often and perform more. With 40+ plays, musicals, and film productions a year, you'll grow your craft from every angle.
Plus, as you work toward your acting degree at Columbia, you'll be connected with top theatres in Chicago and across the country, where you can develop your craft and build your resume through internships and more immersive programs like our Semester in LA (SILA). If you're looking for an acting college in Chicago, learn more about Columbia today—and get started on your creative future.
Learn More About Columbia College Chicago
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Live in a City at the Forefront of Arts and Culture
At Columbia, your campus is the city. Our South Loop location puts you steps from world-class museums, theaters, comedy clubs, and media outlets, meaning inspiration and opportunity are never far away. Chicago is a living lab where you'll test ideas, build meaningful connections, and gain real-world experience.
Plus, as a full-time student, you'll have a Ventra U-Pass, giving you unlimited access to the city's transit system so you can explore every area of Chicago with ease. From grabbing food with friends to walking through exhibits at the Art Institute, the city is part of everyday life.
A High-Level Look at the Acting Degree
Staged Each Year
Alumni Have Earned Tony, Emmy, and Academy Awards
Spend a Semester Training at Chicago's Legendary Comedy Theater
Creative Careers Start at Columbia
Columbia grads launch creative careers across industries—from design and media to performance, business, and tech. 96% of recent graduates reported being employed, continuing their education, or achieving success in their creative practice within a year.
Graduates of the acting degree program are prepared for a wide range of creative careers, including acting coach, director, playwright, screen actor, stage actor, comedian, and voice actor.
"Meeting people from every walk of life was a highlight. My classes were incredibly diverse in culture, race, ethnicity, age, and stories, and that variety shaped my experience."
— Chase Infiniti '22, Musical Theatre BFA
Columbia Makes a Creative Education More Affordable
A Columbia degree is an investment in your creativity—and we're committed to making it accessible. With 99 percent of first-year students receiving financial aid, you'll find the support you need to focus on what matters most: creating.
Ways Columbia helps you save:
- Merit-Based Scholarships: You're automatically considered for these when you apply to Columbia.
- Talent-Based Scholarships: You can choose to apply by submitting a portfolio or completing an audition.
- Visit and FAFSA Awards: Up to $8,000 over four years for visiting campus, plus $1,000 just for filing the FAFSA.
Faculty Spotlight: Anne Libera
Anne Libera is Associate Professor and Director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago, bringing decades of professional comedy experience into the classroom. A longtime director at The Second City and author of Funnier: A New Theory for the Practice of Comedy, she shapes Columbia's approach to comedy as both craft and cultural force.
"The most successful comedians are writer/director/performers who work across mediums. The more clearly I can explain that to students, the easier it is for them to make their own comedy work.”