2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) 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 “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 11,561 people earned their degree in theater arts, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 1,941 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,149 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 40 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in theater arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent theater arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
Cal State LA also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Theater Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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.
University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Fresno Theater Arts Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low 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%.
Read full report on Theater Arts at California State University - Long Beach
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUN also took the #18 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,945 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - Northridge
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Read full report on Theater Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Theater Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
University of California - San Diego ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Theater Arts at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 41 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #9 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Davis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 full report on Theater Arts at University of California - Davis
San Diego State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
SDSU also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Theater Arts Report
University of Southern California ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
USC also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
San Francisco State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Theater Arts at San Francisco State University
Occidental College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Occidental College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
Oxy also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $13,146 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oxy.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - East Bay came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
San Jose State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also took the #15 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree theater students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Theater Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.
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