College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California

20 Ranked Colleges
336 Degrees Awarded
$32,013 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master's

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s” 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.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in drama and theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality drama and theater arts programs as well as strong veteran support.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the drama and theater arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree vets studying theater.

Top 20 Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,311 of the 46,287 students enrolled at University of Southern California were GI Bill® students, of which 862 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,487. On top of their other funding sources, 388 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Southern California offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 91%.

Full University of Southern California Veteran Student Life Report

2
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Loyola Marymount University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s. Located in Los Angeles, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Loyola Marymount also took the #5 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, Loyola Marymount University supports 9,686 students, and 15 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,741. In addition to receiving other benefits, 6 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola Marymount University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full Loyola Marymount University Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s 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 Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 44,589 students enrolled at UCLA, 7 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,071. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

4
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s. Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying theater list, Academy of Art University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 8,928 students enrolled at Academy of Art University, 1,287 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,016 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,275. In addition to receiving other benefits, 257 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Academy of Art University]](/colleges/academy-of-art-university/student-life/veterans/)

5

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 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 18 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying theater list, UCSD has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 39,576 students enrolled at University of California - San Diego, 112 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,596. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 - San Diego Veteran Student Life Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 20 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying theater list, UC Irvine has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 8 of the 36,303 students enrolled at University of California - Irvine were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,620. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - Irvine]](/colleges/university-of-california-irvine/student-life/veterans/)

7
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 9 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 36,334 students enrolled at SDSU, 1,433 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,806. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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…

8

University of California - Davis ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 5 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #8 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 31 of the 39,074 students enrolled at University of California - Davis were GI Bill® students, of which 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,489. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

Full UC Davis Veteran Student Life Report

9
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s theater degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

National University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 18,070 students enrolled at National University were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. National University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Read More…

10

California State University - Northridge landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 18 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also took the #13 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 40,381 students enrolled at CSUN, 680 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 336 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,745. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at CSUN]](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge/student-life/veterans/)

11

California State University - Long Beach landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, CSULB supports 40,069 students, and 822 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 310 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,845. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Veteran Student Life Report

12

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 3 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying theater list, UCSB has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 286 of the 26,179 students enrolled at University of California - Santa Barbara were GI Bill® students, of which 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,510. During this same period, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCSB Veteran Student Life Report

13

California Institute of the Arts ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s list. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified masters’s theater students in 2020-2021.

CalArts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Among the 1,166 students enrolled at California Institute of the Arts, 18 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $21,930. To help with additional expenses, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. California Institute of the Arts does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full California Institute of the Arts Veteran Student Life Report

14
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 3 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17.Our most recent data shows that 950 of the 27,349 students enrolled at SFSU were GI Bill® students, of which 536 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,581. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

15

California State University - Fullerton came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 12 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #15 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 42,051 students enrolled at California State University - Fullerton, 748 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 342 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,729. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Fullerton Veteran Student Life Report

16

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 4 masters’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Our most recent data shows that 273 of the 19,161 students enrolled at University of California - Santa Cruz were GI Bill® students, of which 114 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,631. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of California - Santa Cruz]](/colleges/university-of-california-santa-cruz/student-life/veterans/)

17
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

With a ranking of #17, Chapman University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s list. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified masters’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Chapman also made our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 9,761 students enrolled at Chapman were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 85%.

Full Chapman University Veteran Student Life Report

18
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

New York Film Academy did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. New York Film Academy is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.

New York Film Academy also took the #20 spot in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, New York Film Academy supports 1,271 students, and 21 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 14 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,267. In addition to receiving other benefits, 11 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. New York Film Academy does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read More…

19
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking. Located in Azusa, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Among the 9,006 students enrolled at Azusa Pacific University, 58 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 44 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,529. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Azusa Pacific University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. 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.

Read More…

20
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Theater for a Master’s ranking. Pepperdine is located in Malibu, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying theater list, Pepperdine has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Drama & Theater Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 9,554 students enrolled at Pepperdine University, 458 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 288 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,329. On top of their other funding sources, 180 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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…

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