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2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

38 Ranked Colleges
3,040 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Drama & Theater Arts is the 59th most popular major in the country with 17,341 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, drama and theater arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $23,190 and had an average of $23,522 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,040 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $24,344 and $18,964 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 38 colleges that offered a degree 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The theater school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 41 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $13,423 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Drama & Theater Arts Report

2

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 87 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 122 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,017 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Cal State Fullerton

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 129 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,275 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The low undergrad 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%. 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 University of California - Irvine

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 37 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,700 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Cal State LA

6

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,310 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSD.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 UCSD

7

University of California - Davis ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,193 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

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

Full UC Davis Drama & Theater Arts Report

8
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 175 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $22,826 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USC.

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

Full University of Southern California Drama & Theater Arts Report

9

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.

CSULB also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $11,189 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Drama & Theater Arts Report

10

California State University - Fresno landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 23 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,030 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

11

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 25 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,854 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Drama & Theater Arts Report

12

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 36 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $14,583 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UCSB

13

California State University - Northridge landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 California State University - Northridge

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #14, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,698 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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%.

Full SDSU Drama & Theater Arts Report

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,333 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%.

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

16

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,567 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Drama & Theater Arts Report

17

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 28 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,602 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Sac State

18

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $15,958 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Cal Poly Pomona

19
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $17,338 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Drama & Theater Arts Report

20
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 56 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $16,065 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

21

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $7,976 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Stan State

22

California State University - East Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $15,615 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State East Bay Drama & Theater Arts Report

23

With a ranking of #23, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 13 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,340 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

24
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 21 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $48-$75k list, SSU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,985 for california theater students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at SSU

25

California State University - Chico ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,738 for California Theater students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Chico State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 California State University - Chico

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