Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Drama & Theater Arts

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

5 Ranked Colleges
712 Degrees Awarded
$22,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 18,124 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $21,403 and had an average of $26,932 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,227 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $20,531 and $31,651 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 712 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 5 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent drama and theater arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Drama & Theater Arts Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california associate degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 5 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Santa Rosa Junior College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Santa Rosa Junior College is located in Santa Rosa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 associates’s theater degrees to qualified students.

SRJC also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $5,026 for California Associate Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Santa Rosa Junior College.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Santa Rosa Junior College

#2

Mt. San Antonio College

Walnut, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Mt. San Antonio College landed the #2 spot on the list. Mt. SAC is a large public school situated in Walnut, California. It awarded 6 associates’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Mt. SAC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $898 for california associate degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mt. San Antonio College.

Full Mt. San Antonio College Drama & Theater Arts Report

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k. FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

FIDM Los Angeles did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for FIDM Los Angeles is $37,103 for california associate degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

#4

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy of Art University landed the #4 spot on the list. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 7 associates’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,390 for california associate degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Academy of Art University.

Full Academy of Art University Drama & Theater Arts Report

#5

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, New York Film Academy landed the #5 spot on the list. New York Film Academy is a small school located in Burbank, California that handed out 23 associates’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, New York Film Academy has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $40,748 for California Associate Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend New York Film Academy.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at New York Film Academy

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

Featured Theater Schools

Find Schools Near You