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2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

40 Ranked Colleges
1,149 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 11,561 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,941 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,149 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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 40 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 theater arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank 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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Stanford

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 62 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Theater Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

#21 in overall quality

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Theater Arts Report

#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 107 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #14 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - Fullerton

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of California - Berkeley

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 76 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 $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Theater Arts at UC Irvine

California State University - Fresno ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at California State University - Fresno

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at CSUDH

#4 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Theater Arts at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUN has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,783 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Theater Arts Report

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UCSB also took the #9 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UCSB

#11 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,071 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSD.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Theater Arts at University of California - San Diego

#13 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Davis, 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $13,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UC Davis

#15

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - San Bernardino

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Sac State

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Theater Arts at Stan State

#18

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#10 in overall quality

Occidental College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Occidental College is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Oxy also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Occidental College is $19,364 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Occidental College Theater Arts Report

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Southern California.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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 91%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Theater Arts at USC

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#17 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 36 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $15,253 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Theater Arts Report

#21

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#22 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU Theater Arts Report

#22

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Theater Arts at San Francisco State University

#23

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#15 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at San Jose State

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,048 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - East Bay

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Cal Poly Pomona

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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