I think CMU is a bit of an “outlier” given the well known position of the theater dept that you don’t have to meet “normal” academic standards to be admitted b/c you would need few classes outside the dept- so idk if it would meet @Sammy8028’s criteria. BUT - if it says CMU on your resume, and you are applying for a non theater job- would the person with your resume KNOW you didn’t take academic classes, or would they assume you are smart b/c you went to CMU. I would guess the latter. 
Interesting discussion, but frankly if one’s kid is going for a BFA in a program where ~80% of the courses s/he will be taking are in the MT major, the comparison of the non-MT academics among the schools is not very relevant.
@MTDad2020 - academic rigor can be very relevant for some/many students. There is considerable variance in BFA curricula and for some students the perceived level of academic rigor can be important in choosing programs.Not all programs consist of “80 percent” of the courses in the major, in fact, a strong percentage require less than 90 hours in the major. For example, Elon only requires 60 hours in the BFA MT major, Baylor requires 48 hours of general education courses, etc. Some MT students with strong interests outside MT, decide to pursue BA programs and may be very interested in rigorous academic programs. Some students may place out of enough credits through high AP scores such that they have the flexibility to pursue academic minors or a double major outside of a BFA program, and, hence, may be interested in academic rigor.
@EmsDad - if you read what I wrote, I qualified my statement by speaking to the BFA programs where ~80% of one’s classes will be in the major. And that doesn’t include all the kids who use much of their remaining ~20% to minor in dance. I was NOT referring to programs like Elon, Emerson, etc. that are structured with less emphasis on the MT major itself.
These discussion pop up on this forum periodically. It’s self-evident that for those parents/kids that want more academics while also pursuing a BFA or a B.A. with a theatre major, they will focus on certain schools and not others. But to make blanket comparisons of academic standing among BFA programs, many of which are essentially conservatories even if they are not called such, is misleading. Certainly, given the absence of academic rigor outside the major, lots of kids would not attend many of these schools if not admitted for MT.
@MTDad2020 - very few of the schools, in fact, only a handful, in the list from Post #16 are “essentially conservatories” with “80 percent” of the curriculum in the major. I posted the list originally in a different thread and again in this thread only to serve as a compendium of MT programs at schools with higher SAT scores for incoming freshman to help those who are looking for such a reference, not, as a “blanket comparison” of MT programs.
@MTDad2020 - This type of discussion was VERY relevant to how my kid chose the schools on her list, and her eventual program. For us- the academics aspect was high on the priority list - and while I love that my kid gets incredible training at her school- I also love that she is taking challenging classes and growing there as well.
@MTDad2020 Don’t underestimate the fact that in many cases the academics of an institution drives the direction of even their BFA/ BM classes within the major.
Both D’s attended NYU. One received a degree in Vocal Performance and the other a BFA in studio art. In both cases, there were many instances where high academic standards were set for music/ voice/ theatre and art classes. D would have to write journal entries after every voice lessons that required self-reflection. She would need to analyze in writing the songs/ characters and plays her song material was from. Musical theatre and music history classes meant research and long papers discussing the role of music in society and what it reflected about the time period/ movement. D in studio art might as well have been a philosophy major with all the readings she did on an extremely high academic level for just about every class she took (including studio classes.)
That does not include the classes outside the major where students were placed with NYU students from all schools. That’s why although there is some lee-way with academic standards with portfolio being equally important to academics , schools like NYU don’t bend the minimum academic criteria by much.
Luckily that was exactly what both my D’s were seeking and they had known going in what to expect. But students who could not keep up academically and those who didn’t want the academic component were the ones who left the program after a semester or two.
My wife is a college counselor. She would tell you that these rankings are often times based on non-academic factors, such as who gives money to who. Go to a college counselor that can give you an objective appraisal.