Comedy Writing & Performance at Columbia College Chicago

🎓 What: BA in Comedy Writing & Performance 📍 Where: Columbia College Chicago

Most degrees teach you how to write a resume. This one teaches you how to write a punchline. Columbia College Chicago offers the only dedicated undergraduate degree in comedy writing and performance in the U.S. This isn’t your typical theater major—this is for the students ready to take the mic (and the industry) seriously.

Columbia College Chicago Student Center (Photo source: Columbia College Chicago)

🎭 What You’ll Actually Learn

From day one, you’ll dive into:

• 🎙️ Stand-up, improv, and sketch writing

• 🎥 Screenwriting, voice-over, and podcast production

• 🤡 Clowning, satire, and performance theory

• ✍️ Comedy Studies semester with The Second City (yes, that Second City)
  

Students also create original work, produce shows, and collaborate with professionals. You’re not just watching the scene—you’re in it.

💼 Careers After Comedy School

A comedy degree can actually pay off. Columbia grads have gone on to:

• Write for Saturday Night Live, Key & Peele, and Netflix shows

• Perform at Second City, UCB, and international festivals

• Launch careers in:

  • TV & film writing

  • Live performance & touring

  • Podcasting and voice acting

  • TikTok, YouTube, and digital content

  • Comedy development for brands and studios
    

One alum even became a children’s show creator. See? Comedy has range.

🌍 Why International Students Should Apply

Chicago is a comedy capital, and Columbia puts you at the center of it. With world-class faculty, inclusive storytelling, and one-on-one mentorship, it’s the perfect launchpad for an international creative career.

💸 Tuition and Costs

• Annual undergrad tuition (2024–25): $34,088

• Estimated living costs (international students): ~$30,000–35,000

• Total yearly cost: Around $70,000

(Plus a few bucks for open mic night drinks.)

📅 Key Dates

• Fall 2025 application deadline: July 16, 2025 (Common App)

• Comedy Studies at Second City:

  • Fall/Summer apply by Feb 12 (early) / Mar 28 (regular)

  • Spring apply by Oct 11 (early) / Oct 31 (regular)
    

Want to turn your sense of humor into a global career? Columbia College Chicago’s Comedy BA might just be the most fun you’ll ever have getting a degree. 🎤