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2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

31 Ranked Colleges
1,941 Degrees Awarded
$9,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Theater Arts is the 70th most popular major in the country with 11,385 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across California, there were 1,941 theater arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 31 colleges that offer a degree in theater arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality 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 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.

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The theater school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of California - Berkeley

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. 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 #4 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,891 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 113 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,821 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Cal State Fullerton

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State LA 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,701 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Theater Arts Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 117 students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $8,449 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.

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 full report on Theater Arts at University of California - Irvine

6

University of California - San Diego landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,176 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UCSD

7

California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 23 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,655 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Full California State University - Fresno Theater Arts Report

8

University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 24 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $11,598 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Davis Theater Arts Report

9

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 81 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

CSULB also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,573 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at CSULB

10
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,345 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Southern California.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Theater Arts at University of Southern California

11

California State University - Northridge ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,103 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUN.

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 Theater Arts at CSUN

12

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $6,613 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - San Bernardino

13

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,606 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Theater Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara

14

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $3,329 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at CSUDH

15
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $9,274 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Full SDSU Theater Arts Report

16

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 28 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Theater Arts at California State University - Sacramento

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 36 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $12,049 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Theater Arts at University of California - Santa Cruz

18

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 34 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,992 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

19
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $13,378 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full San Jose State University Theater Arts Report

20

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $4,903 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Stan State Theater Arts Report

21

California State University - East Bay came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 14 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,025 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State East Bay Theater Arts Report

22
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 56 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california theater students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,862 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at San Francisco State University

23

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Poly 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 also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Theater Arts at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

24
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 21 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,983 for California Theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SSU.

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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at SSU

25

California State University - Chico ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,040 for california theater students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

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%.

Full California State University - Chico Theater Arts Report

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References

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