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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

45 Ranked Colleges
1,609 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 18,124 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $21,403 and had an average of $26,932 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,227 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $20,531 and $31,651 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,609 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 45 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent drama and theater arts 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 drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Stanford University

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 California State University - Los Angeles Drama & Theater Arts Report

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Drama & Theater Arts Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UC Irvine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 107 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UC Berkeley

California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Fresno State

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at CSULB

California State University - Northridge landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #20 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full CSUN Drama & Theater Arts Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Drama & Theater Arts Report

#4 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 94%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of California - San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UCSD

#13

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UCSB

University of California - Davis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #13 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UC Davis

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at SDSU

#16

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full CSUSB Drama & Theater Arts Report

California State University - Sacramento landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Sac State

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Stanislaus

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 145 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 students. The 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.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at USC

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

With a ranking of #20, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 36 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 UC Santa Cruz Drama & Theater Arts Report

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at San Francisco State University

#22

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #22, Occidental College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Occidental College is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oxy has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oxy is $13,146 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Occidental College

California State University - East Bay ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - East Bay

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

With a ranking of #24, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at San Jose State

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Cal Poly Pomona Drama & Theater Arts Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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