2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts in California
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.
Theater Arts is the 69th most popular major in the country with 11,561 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
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” 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the theater arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Theater Arts in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 13 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 $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s 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 $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The school has an impressive 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 107 bachelors’s theater 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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree theater students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - Fresno landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
San Francisco State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 40 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree theater students.
Read more about Theater Arts at San Francisco State University
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree theater students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Irvine landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read more about Theater Arts at University of California - Irvine
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #10. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s theater degrees to qualified students.
UCSB also made our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend UCSB.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
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 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%.
Full University of California - San Diego Theater Arts Report
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #13. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend Cal State East Bay.
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State LA 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Chico ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree theater students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree theater students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
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%.
Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - Sacramento
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree theater students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Theater Arts Report
With a ranking of #19, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s theater degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree theater students list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of California - Davis landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
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 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 - Dominguez Hills came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend CSUDH.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Theater Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #23. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 36 bachelors’s theater degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Theater Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree theater students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students per year to attend Stan State.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Theater Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s theater students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,692 for California Bachelor’s Degree Theater students.
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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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