by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for drama & theater arts students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 272 master's degrees in drama & theater arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The theater master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality theater program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for drama & theater arts students working on their master's degree.
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 Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for drama & theater arts students seeking a a master's degree.
It's hard to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a master's degree in drama & theater arts. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make about $21,764 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of Southern California
Chapman University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Orange.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Chapman University
It is hard to beat University of California - San Diego if you wish to pursue a master's degree in drama & theater arts. UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla.
Master's students who receive their degree from the theater program earn around $14,358 for their early career.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - San Diego
California Institute of the Arts is a great option for students interested in a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large suburb of Valencia, CalArts is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Master's recipients from the drama & theater arts major at California Institute of the Arts earn $9,650 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from California Institute of the Arts
Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Los Angeles
UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine.
Master's students who receive their degree from the theater program make an average of $24,696 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Irvine
Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Drama & Theater Arts master's degree recipients from Loyola Marymount University receive an earnings boost of about $6,058 above the typical earnings of drama & theater arts graduates.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Loyola Marymount University
Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Master's recipients from the drama & theater arts major at Academy of Art University earn $11,129 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Academy of Art University
Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the theater program report average early career wages of $24,978.
More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from California State University - Fullerton
Located in the large city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from California State University - Northridge
Explore all the Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 183 | 17 |
| Oregon | 158 | 17 |
| Nevada | 105 | 9 |
| Hawaii | 85 | 11 |
Drama & Theater Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 148 |
| Acting | 55 |
| Theater Arts | 48 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 10 |
| Costume Design | 6 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 5 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 877 |
| Music | 570 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 364 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 186 |
| Arts & Media Management | 55 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 54 |
| Dance | 45 |
| Other Visual Art | 7 |
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