2023 Best Value Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in California (With Aid)
39
Ranked Colleges
3,040
Degrees Awarded
$12,700
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 39 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality drama and theater arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Drama & Theater Arts Schools
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 in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for california theater students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in California (With Aid)
Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 122 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
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 $8,003 for california theater students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
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%. 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
Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for California Theater students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 87 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for California Theater students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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
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 Getting Aid list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 129 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for california theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at UC Irvine
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 61 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,240 for California Theater students with aid per year to attend UCSD.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Full University of California - San Diego Drama & Theater Arts Report
California State University - Long Beach came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for California Theater students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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
California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,230 for California Theater students with aid per year to attend Fresno State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, 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 87%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Fresno
California State University - Northridge landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 77 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california theater students with aid list, CSUN has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for California Theater students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Northridge
University of California - Berkeley landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california theater students with aid list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for california theater students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Berkeley
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 25 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,107 for california theater students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at CSUSB
University of California - Davis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $15,768 for california theater students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Davis
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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.
It costs about $4,026 for California Theater students with aid per year to attend CSUDH.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUDH Drama & Theater Arts Report
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 36 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for california theater students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UCSB
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california theater students with aid list, SDSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for california theater students with aid.
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%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at SDSU
San Jose State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 16 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california theater students with aid list, San Jose State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,542 for California Theater students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at San Jose State
California State University - Sacramento landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for california theater students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #17, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 34 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california theater students with aid list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,304 for California Theater students with aid 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 undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
With a ranking of #18, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,459 for California Theater students with aid per year to attend SFSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at San Francisco State University
California State University - East Bay ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for california theater students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Cal State East Bay
With a ranking of #20, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
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 yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california theater students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at UC Santa Cruz
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,566 for California Theater students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Drama & Theater Arts Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for California Theater students with aid.
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 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%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
California State University - Chico came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 20 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,218 for California Theater students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Chico State
With a ranking of #24, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 21 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,563 for california theater students with aid per year to attend SSU.
The low undergrad 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 SSU Drama & Theater Arts Report
Humboldt State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,956 for California Theater students with aid per year to attend Humboldt State University.
Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Humboldt State University
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