As the number of applicants for the program has nearly tripled since 2013, the acceptance rate has decreased to less than 2 percent.
Throughout the past two decades since its establishment, Elon University’s Music Theatre program has quickly become one of the most competitive and prestigious performing arts programs in the country.
Elon’s program is drawing its students from an increasingly talented and numerous pool of candidates, with marked growth during the past years in the number of students applying. In 2013, Elon saw 387 applicants audition to become a member of the 20-person Music Theatre Class of 2017.
By 2017, that number had grown to 802, a level of growth that saw the program begin to rely upon pre-screening applicants using video auditions to accommodate the level of interest. This year, Elon saw 1,051 applications audition for the Musical Theatre program, with approximately a third of those who had applied invited to campus for an in-person audition to become one of the 20 selected for the program.
Due to the increased interested in what Elon has to offer and the growing exposure for the accomplishments of program alumni, the university’s Musical Theatre program has now become one of the country’s most selective and sought-after. The university expects interest to grow, generating an ever-greater pool of applicants and ensuring Elon can attract top-level students each year.
Additionally, many websites and publications have recently and consistently ranked Elon’s Music Theatre program among the best in the country. Some recent rankings include:
Playbill – Named Elon one of the Top 10 Colleges represented on Broadway in 2018 Backstage.com – Ranked Elon in their “10 Musical Theatre Programs You Should Know”
Buzzfeed – Ranked Elon No. 4 in their Top 10 Under 10: Top Musical Theatre Programs Based on Alumni Success Within 10 Years of Graduation
College Factual – Ranked Elon’s theatre department in Top 10 percent in the country Onstage Blog – Ranked Elon in their Top 25 Musical Theatre Programs HelpToStudy.com – Ranked Elon the No. 3 Musical Theatre Program
Ensemblist – Featured Elon as one of the “most prolific breeding grounds for Broadway ensemblists