College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Acting in California (With Aid)

8 Ranked Colleges
512 Degrees Awarded
$38,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 1,793 people earned their degree in acting, making the major the 323rd most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 512 acting graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 8 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in acting. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent acting programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the acting 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 Acting Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Acting Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california acting students with aid.

Top 8 Best Value Colleges for Acting in California (With Aid)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s acting degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD also made our “Best Acting Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $15,240 for California Acting students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSD Acting Report

2
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s acting degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Acting Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $32,569 for california acting students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Acting at University of Southern California

3
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s acting students in 2020-2021.

Academy of Art University also took the #7 spot in our “Best Acting Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $36,143 for California Acting students with aid per year to attend Academy of Art University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Acting at Academy of Art University

4
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Out of the 8 schools in the Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Chapman University landed the #4 spot on the list. Chapman University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Chapman also made our “Best Acting Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Chapman is $44,198 for California Acting students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Acting at Chapman University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 150 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california acting students with aid list, American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Acting Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is $40,050 for california acting students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Acting at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles

6
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

With a ranking of #6, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. CalArts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 37 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

CalArts also made our “Best Acting Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of the Arts is $56,876 for California Acting students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Acting at CalArts

7
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Malibu, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s acting students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pepperdine, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Acting Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $38,846 for California Acting students with aid per year to attend Pepperdine.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Acting at Pepperdine University

8
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

New York Film Academy ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Acting Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 170 ’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

New York Film Academy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Acting Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for New York Film Academy is $44,350 for california acting students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Acting at New York Film Academy

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options