2026 Best Acting Schools in California
Acting degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their acting programs.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools to find the best for acting students.
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Best Schools for Acting in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the acting degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Acting
Chapman University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in acting. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Orange. About 82% of students finish within six years. Chapman University awarded about 11 acting degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, acting degree recipients from Chapman University generally make around $24,644. Chapman University graduates carry a median of $22,500 in student loans.
Read more about the acting program at Chapman University
A rank of #2 makes University Of Southern California one of the top schools for acting. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. About 92% of students finish within six years. University Of Southern California awarded about 86 acting degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, acting degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $21,619. University Of Southern California graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans.
See the full acting program report for University Of Southern California
Students looking for a strong acting program will find one at California Institute Of The Arts, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Valencia, California Institute Of The Arts is a small private not-for-profit institution. About 67% of students finish within six years. About 41 acting degrees were awarded at California Institute Of The Arts in the most recent year. Acting graduates of California Institute Of The Arts earn a median of $28,915 early in their careers. California Institute Of The Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
Read more about the acting program at California Institute Of The Arts
American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in acting, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles is a small private not-for-profit university. About 85 acting degrees were awarded at American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles in the most recent year. Students who receive their acting degree from American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles earn around $13,390 in the first couple years of their career. American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles graduates carry a median of $14,585 in student loans.
Get the full acting details for American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles
Students looking for a strong acting program will find one at New York Film Academy, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Burbank, New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. There were roughly 208 acting students who graduated with this degree at New York Film Academy in the most recent data year. Students who receive their acting degree from New York Film Academy earn around $13,813 in the first couple years of their career. New York Film Academy graduates carry a median of $17,167 in student loans.
Read more about the acting program at New York Film Academy
Academy Of Art University landed the #6 spot for acting this year. Located in the city of San Francisco, Academy Of Art University is a moderately-sized private for-profit university. Roughly 34% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 23 acting students who graduated with this degree at Academy Of Art University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, acting degree recipients from Academy Of Art University generally make around $28,717. Typical student debt for the program is $31,000.
More information about a degree in acting from Academy Of Art University
Theatre Of Arts placed #7 among the best acting schools. Set in the city of Hollywood, Theatre Of Arts is a small private for-profit institution. There were roughly 10 acting students who graduated with this degree at Theatre Of Arts in the most recent data year. Students who receive their acting degree from Theatre Of Arts earn around $18,746 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $19,385 to complete this degree.
See the full acting program report for Theatre Of Arts
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 11 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
