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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

45 Ranked Colleges
1,609 Degrees Awarded
$20,529 Avg Salary
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

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 “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 45 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in drama and theater arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great drama and theater arts programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Stanford University

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA also took the #23 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #14 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 California State University - Fullerton

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #6 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UC Berkeley

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UC Irvine

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 $48-$75k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Fresno State Drama & Theater Arts Report

California State University - Long Beach came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 25 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUN.

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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at CSUN

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara

University of California - San Diego landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,071 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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

Full UCSD Drama & Theater Arts Report

University of California - Davis landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $13,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full UC Davis Drama & Theater Arts Report

#15

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $8,924 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Drama & Theater Arts Report

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#18

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #18, Occidental College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

Oxy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Occidental College is $19,364 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Occidental College

#19

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 145 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

USC also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of Southern California

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 36 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 $48-$75k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,253 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UC Santa Cruz

#21

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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.

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 San Diego State University

#22

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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 $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at SFSU

#23

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,397 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 University

With a ranking of #24, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $13,048 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Cal State East Bay

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 $48-$75k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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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