College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts in California (With Aid)

31 Ranked Colleges
1,941 Degrees Awarded
$12,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the theater arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california theater students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Theater Arts in California (With Aid)

1

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 113 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #10 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,003 for california theater students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Theater Arts at California State University - Fullerton

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 37 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $3,302 for california theater students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Theater Arts Report

3

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 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 $15,023 for California Theater students with aid.

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 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 took the #6 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,209 for California Theater students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at UC Irvine

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,240 for california theater students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Theater Arts at University of California - San Diego

6

California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for california theater students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%.

Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - Long Beach

7

California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 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. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for California Theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - Fresno

8

University of California - Berkeley ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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 UC Berkeley is $16,032 for california theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read more about Theater Arts at UC Berkeley

9

California State University - Northridge landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for California Theater students with aid.

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 California State University - Northridge

10

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 25 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also took the #20 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,107 for california theater students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national 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 Theater Arts at California State University - San Bernardino

11

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 24 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $15,768 for California Theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis Theater Arts Report

12

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,026 for california theater students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at CSUDH

13

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for california theater students with aid.

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 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 full report on Theater Arts at UCSB

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #14, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $13,845 for california theater students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 San Diego State University Theater Arts Report

15
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #15, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 16 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $16,542 for california theater students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Theater Arts at San Jose State University

16

California State University - Sacramento landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. 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 Sac State is $11,178 for california theater students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 California State University - Sacramento

17

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,304 for california theater students with aid per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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 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

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $14,459 for california theater students with aid.

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%.

Full SFSU Theater Arts Report

19

California State University - East Bay ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay also took the #25 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for California Theater students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Cal State East Bay Theater Arts Report

20

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 36 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california theater students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 full report on Theater Arts at University of California - Santa Cruz

21

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. California State University - Stanislaus 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.

It costs about $6,566 for california theater students with aid per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Stan State

22

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified ’s theater students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,677 for California Theater students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Theater Arts at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

23

California State University - Chico came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 8 ’s theater degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,218 for california theater students with aid.

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 Chico State Theater Arts Report

24
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #24, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s theater degrees to qualified students.

SSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Theater Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $17,563 for California Theater students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Theater Arts at SSU

25
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s theater degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,956 for california theater students with aid.

Read full report on Theater Arts at Humboldt State University

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