an associate degree in drama & theater arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #65 out of 328 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.
College Factual looked at 2 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 719 associate degrees in drama & theater arts to qualified students.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Major Focus - How much a school focuses on drama & theater arts students vs. other majors.
Major Demand - How many other drama & theater arts students want to attend this school to pursue a associate degree.
Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
Student Debt - How easy is it for drama & theater arts to pay back their student loans after receiving their associate degree.
Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized drama & theater arts related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for drama & theater arts students working on their associate degree.
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 the Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region.
Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Drama & Theater Arts in the Far Western US Region
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for drama & theater arts students seeking a an associate degree.
Top Far Western US Region Schools for an Associate in Theater
American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in drama & theater arts. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Associate graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make around $12,445 in their early career salary.
Every student who is interested in an associate degree in drama & theater arts needs to check out New York Film Academy. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Burbank.
Associate students who receive their degree from the theater program earn around $6,814 in their early career salary.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest 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).
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