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2024 Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in California

19 Colleges in California
336 Master's Degrees
$32,013 Avg Early-Career Salary
Drama & Theater Arts is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #83 most popular master's degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 19 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 336 master's degrees in drama & theater arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Drama & Theater Arts School for Your Master's Degree

Best Drama & Theater Arts Master's Degree Schools in California 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:

Overall Quality Is a Must

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 Salaries

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.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
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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.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Drama & Theater Arts in California

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for drama & theater arts students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Top California Schools for a Master's in Theater

1

It's hard to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a master's degree in drama & theater arts. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.

Drama & Theater Arts master's degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of approximately $2,660 over the average income of drama & theater arts majors.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of Southern California

2

It is difficult to beat University of California - San Diego if you wish to pursue a master's degree in drama & theater arts. UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the city of La Jolla.

Those drama & theater arts students who get their master's degree from University of California - San Diego earn $6,906 more than the typical theater student.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - San Diego

3

University of California - Los Angeles is a great option for individuals pursuing a master's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.

Soon after graduation, theater master's recipients generally earn an average of $25,255 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Los Angeles

4
20 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat University of California - Irvine if you wish to pursue a master's degree in drama & theater arts. UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the city of Irvine.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Irvine

5
12 Annual Graduates

Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Loyola Marymount University

6
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Pepperdine University

7

Chapman is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Orange.

Master's students who receive their degree from the theater program make around $28,001 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Chapman University

7
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Davis

8
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
31 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from Academy of Art University

9

Located in the large suburb of Valencia, CalArts is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make around $24,469 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in drama & theater arts from California Institute of the Arts

Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

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

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Drama & Theater Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Theater Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Playwriting & Screenwriting 133
Acting 88
Theater Arts 83
Theater Design & Technology 21
Directing & Theatrical Production 7
Costume Design 4

Related Major Annual Graduates
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 744
Music 498
Fine & Studio Arts 367
Design & Applied Arts 193
General Visual & Performing Arts 60
Dance 56
Arts & Media Management 51
Other Visual Art 12

Notes and References

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