College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Acting in California

7 Ranked Colleges
206 Degrees Awarded
$47,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor's

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s” 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 206 acting graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 7 colleges that offer a degree in acting. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular acting programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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.

Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree acting students.

1
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York Film Academy. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. New York Film Academy is a private for-profit institution located in Burbank, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 81 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. 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.

Read more about Acting at New York Film Academy

2
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 66 bachelors’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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. 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%.

Full University of Southern California Acting Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of the Arts. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s. California Institute of the Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valencia, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Acting at CalArts

4
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Out of the 7 schools in the Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy of Art University landed the #4 spot on the list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s acting degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Academy of Art University Acting Report

4
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Out of the 7 schools in the Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s 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 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Acting at Chapman University

6
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. 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

7
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Acting Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s acting degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Acting at MSMU

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