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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California

45 Ranked Colleges
1,609 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,609 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 45 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality drama and theater arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Drama & Theater Arts Schools

The theater school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Stanford

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Cal State LA

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 62 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 107 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton Drama & Theater Arts Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 85 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Irvine

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Berkeley

California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Fresno State

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,115 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 78 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Northridge landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,883 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at CSUN

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

With a ranking of #12, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Drama & Theater Arts Report

#13

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 41 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UCSB

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Davis

#15

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full CSUSB Drama & Theater Arts Report

#16

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full San Diego State University Drama & Theater Arts Report

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stan State Drama & Theater Arts Report

California State University - Sacramento ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Sacramento

#19

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California

Occidental College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Oxy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,662 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oxy.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Occidental College Drama & Theater Arts Report

#20

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 145 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 low student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full USC Drama & Theater Arts Report

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Drama & Theater Arts Report

#22

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 40 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SFSU.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at SFSU

With a ranking of #23, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - East Bay

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at San Jose State University

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $9,630 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Drama & Theater Arts Report

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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.

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