College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California

62 Ranked Colleges
1,601 Degrees Awarded
$22,651 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Theater Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 17,341 people earned their degree in drama and theater arts, making the major the 59th most popular in the United States. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,601 drama and theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California” ranking analyzed 62 colleges that offered a degree in drama and theater arts. That schools that top this list have a program in drama and theater arts in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Theater Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree theater students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in California

1
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York Film Academy. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 97 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at New York Film Academy

2
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of the Arts. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California. Valencia, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at California Institute of the Arts

3
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 62 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola Marymount University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 100 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Loyola Marymount University

4
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Out of the 62 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the #4 spot on the list. Pomona is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Pomona Drama & Theater Arts Report

5
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Out of the 62 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Chapman University landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Chapman

6
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Westmont College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. Westmont College is a small school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Westmont Drama & Theater Arts Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanguard Drama & Theater Arts Report

8
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Whittier, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

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 Whittier

9
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Academy of Art University

10
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking. Oxy is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Occidental College Drama & Theater Arts Report

11
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking. Pitzer is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at Pitzer

12
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California

Mills College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. Mills is located in Oakland, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Mills

13

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

14
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. SSU is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at SSU

15

University of California - Irvine ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 109 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Irvine

16
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 145 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at USC

17

California State University - Long Beach ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at San Francisco State University

19
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. Malibu, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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.

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at Pepperdine

20
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking, coming in at #20. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Humboldt State University Drama & Theater Arts Report

21
Concordia University, Irvine crest
Concordia University, Irvine
Irvine, California

With a ranking of #21, Concordia University, Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. Concordia University, Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

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 Concordia University, Irvine Drama & Theater Arts Report

22
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking. Scripps College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Scripps College Drama & Theater Arts Report

23
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

With a ranking of #23, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. CLU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Thousand Oaks, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 CLU

24

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Drama & Theater Arts at University of California - Santa Cruz

25

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Theater Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Full CSUSB Drama & Theater Arts Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options