by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 36 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for drama & theater arts students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,601 bachelor's degrees in drama & theater arts to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of drama & theater arts for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality theater program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for drama & theater arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts.
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts has to look into University of Southern California. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Those drama & theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from University of Southern California earn $2,330 more than the typical theater graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Southern California
University of California - Los Angeles is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those drama & theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from University of California - Los Angeles earn $2,425 more than the typical theater graduate.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - Berkeley is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley.
Bachelor's recipients from the drama & theater arts major at University of California - Berkeley make $8,416 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Berkeley
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts has to take a look at Chapman University. Chapman is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Orange.
Bachelor's recipients from the drama & theater arts program at Chapman University make $2,105 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Chapman University
UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the large city of Irvine.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make around $22,367 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Irvine
Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
After graduation, theater bachelor's recipients typically make an average of $23,556 in their early careers.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Loyola Marymount University
UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the city of La Jolla.
Soon after graduation, theater bachelor's recipients usually earn an average of $19,321 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - San Diego
Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Davis get an earnings boost of about $2,355 over the average earnings of drama & theater arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Davis
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of California - Santa Barbara get an earnings boost of about $2,005 above the average earnings of drama & theater arts graduates.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the drama & theater arts major at California State University - Fullerton earn $3,370 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from California State University - FullertonExplore all the Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 226 | 210 |
| Oregon | 185 | 152 |
| Nevada | 129 | 64 |
| Hawaii | 112 | 7 |
| Alaska | 75 | 13 |
Drama & Theater Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theater Arts | 1,158 |
| Acting | 206 |
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 148 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 32 |
| Musical Theater | 31 |
| Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft | 11 |
| Costume Design | 9 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 5 |
| Comedy Writing and Performance | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 3,908 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 2,667 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 2,446 |
| Music | 1,679 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 476 |
| Dance | 314 |
| Arts & Media Management | 223 |
| Other Visual Art | 54 |
.jpg){kind=link}