It’s a good question to ask. It’s an interesting question, for that matter. The funny thing about a question like “What age do people go to drama school?” is that everybody has an immediate answer in their heads—despite not knowing where that answer might come from. “When you’re young, right? They want you fresh and free of bad habits!” or “Early twenties is best: live a little, get some life experience.”
The age that people go to drama school depends on external factors such as the drama school in question, and what kind of support or resources are available to students. However, the age people attend drama school predominantly varies based on the individual situation of the actor, factoring in their means and lived experience.
If you’re asking this question to determine if it’s too early/late for you to do the same, read on. You’ll discover that there are a number of reasons you might rush in or wait to attend drama school, and the only person who can make that decision is, ultimately, you.
Drama School vs. Acting Classes
Before we start breaking this topic down proper, let’s take a second to establish the difference between “drama school” and “acting classes.”
Drama school refers to a full- or part-time program offered by a school/university/institution that delivers some kind of formal, performance-related qualification. Unlike a theatre course at a college, drama school trains people primarily for the industry—and should be attended with that exact goal in mind.
In contrast, acting classes will teach the skills required to be an actor in a part-time capacity. Y0u may receive a diploma or certificate at the end of the program, but it won’t be a bachelor’s degree as you might receive at a full-time acting institution.
If you were to ask us here at StageMilk which pathway we thought was best suited to getting you into an acting career, we’d likely say drama school because of the focus it offers and the resources it can deliver. However, drama school is often a drain on time and resources that many (especially older) acting hopefuls can’t afford. And it’s still no guarantee of paid work.
So remember that stellar acting training can be found wherever there are passionate, committed teachers and students. This could be your national institute of acting, it could be a community centre where a local actor teaches incredible, intricate classes. Seek good education. And never make assumptions as to where that comes from.
Fresh: 18 – 20
We’re calling this age group “fresh”, because they are likely fresh out of high school and packing about fifteen minutes of life experience.
There’s a bit of a stigma about this age group attending drama school for exactly this reason: how can you talk about life, love or pain without experiencing any of it first-hand?! And, look, while this is true, drama schools do like to take younger actors who have developed less ‘bad’ habits from a fledgling career—or a competing institution*.
If you’re attending drama school this young, chances are you’ve got a lot of enthusiasm for your craft, as well as a lot of familial/social support. Drama school isn’t cheap, and students of this age may have access to resources such as a student loan program, or the ability to live in their family home.
And drama schools are increasingly likely to take students of this age bracket for this exact reason. They have the means to study full-time, when many older drama school hopefuls may be less flexible in their living situations.
*Drama school students will likely accrue all the life/love/pain they can possibly handle within the first few weeks of study.
Young: 21 – 25
This ‘young’ age group make up the largest portion of drama school attendees. With a few crucial years over the above freshies, they’ve had time to accrue some life experience. And yet they’re still very much open to the kinds of ideas and training that drama school will drill into them.
‘Young’ students may have come to acting later in their lives, studied another degree or worked full-time in a different field. They may even have auditioned for drama school in previous years, but not been successful in securing a place. There is no shame in this—trying out for drama school multiple times before you land a spot. There is plenty you can do in the meantime to maximise your chances between auditions.
This group’s financial situation may have been a factor in starting drama school later; for example, they may have worked to pay for a degree outright. But much like the ‘fresh’ group, this age range tends to have less responsibility in life—and therefore a better shot at attending a full-time course without distraction.
Matured: 26 – 30+
Drama school students over 25 tend to be rarer commodities. By this time in their lives, responsibilities have started to kick in, and the prospect of leaving a stable job and living situation for the gamble of a theatre degree might be too much to risk.
However, some still give it a red-hot go. And in all honesty: they tend to be some of the most interesting people in their class. They bring a de facto maturity to a group of younger peers, and can draw on life experiences to approximate the emotional journey of their characters. Often, matured students are able to better articulate their needs as a student to a teacher, meaning that they get more out of their educational experience. Socially, they’re likely to be on the outside. But here’s hoping they have plenty of family and friends in their life by this point that such isolation won’t be a bother.
Unlike the younger age brackets, the matured bunch have more resources to draw from. But they have to balance the enormous amount of time drama school demands with their external obligations, and in a way that renders a full-time course out of most would-be students’ reaches. At this age, a part-time course is probably more beneficial. And it could still lead to a healthy, prosperous career.
What is the Best Age to Study at Drama School?
It really does depend on the person—in this case you, if you’ve got drama school on your mind. Do you feel confident about the commitment, the long hours, the audition process? Can you afford it: not just the fees itself, but feeding and housing yourself for years on end with little time for external work? Most importantly, are you ready to take on such an important chapter in your life?
If you’re feeling positive about all of the above, then the best age is right now—or at least as soon as you can. But there is no harm in waiting, in taking it slow or trying again the next year. In the meantime, there is a lot you can do to improve your acting skills and establish your career. And your own path to acting might not take you to drama school at all!
Conclusion
If you are a regular reader of the articles here on StageMilk, you’re probably feeling a bit suspicious this point about our eerily similar conclusions. This feels like the hundredth post in a row that sums up our topic at hand with an “It depends, so don’t sweat it!” mentality. But the truth is exactly that: your path to drama school, training or simply your acting career, is going to be your own. Learn from the journey of others, by all means. But don’t stress when yours looks different.
A final note on drama school itself: it can be a huge leg-up for the aspiring actor. It’s a great place to meet contacts and rub shoulders with the next generation of industry players. You might meet your best friend, your agent, your first professional boss or even your spouse! But drama school is not the end of the actor’s journey. It’s only the beginning, and one of oh-so-many examples of a beginning at that.
Good luck!
