Best Drama and Theatre Arts Programs in California (2026)
Updated
Part of Top Art & Design Colleges in California by Earnings
This page ranks 28 Drama and Theatre Arts programs in California by median earnings of Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. University of California-Davis leads with $56,823, followed by University of California-Berkeley at $55,555, a gap of $1,268.
Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $56,823 to $11,434, with a median of $40,602. For 5 of the 28 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 71% of the list, with 20 public and 8 private nonprofit schools represented. California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $56,823 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis reports median earnings of $56,823 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $55,555 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| An admission rate of 11% coincides with median earnings of $55,555 for Drama and Theatre Arts graduates of University of California-Berkeley four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $51,611 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in Orange, Chapman University posts median earnings of $51,611 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA | $50,594 | $58,098 | $50,560 | 62.9% |
| Pepperdine University ranks 4th on this list, with a median of $19,500 in federal debt among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 5 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $49,135 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University reports an average net price of $32,268 for families earning under $30,000 and a cohort of 134 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $47,676 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento ranks 10th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $47,676 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $44,848 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University reports an average net price of $12,278 and its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates earn a median of $44,848 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $44,106 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara admits 33% of applicants and its graduates in the earnings cohort number 31. | |||||
| 9 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $43,240 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge reports an average net price of $4,905 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $43,240 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $42,455 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| A median of $15,000 in federal debt among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed is reported by California State University-Fullerton, which ranks 6th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 11 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $41,812 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University reports median earnings of $41,812 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 36%. | |||||
| 12 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $41,389 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates earn a median of $41,389 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | California Institute of the Arts · Valencia, CA | $41,192 | $46,080 | $26,686 | 32.3% |
| California Institute of the Arts ranks 13th on this list, with median earnings of $41,192 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $40,773 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| An average net price of $14,251 coincides with University of California-Irvine's 14th position on this page, alongside $40,773 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $40,432 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| California Baptist University reports a median federal debt of $26,063 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, alongside $40,432 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $40,415 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| Admitting 10% of applicants, University of Southern California ranks 16th on this page and reports $40,415 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $40,118 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| California State University-San Bernardino posts an average net price of $4,564 and ranks 17th on this list, with $40,118 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $39,023 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles reports a median federal debt of $16,825 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed, and ranks 18th on this page with $39,023 in median earnings four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $38,270 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach ranks 19th on this list, with $38,270 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $10,440. | |||||
| 20 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $36,697 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| With an admission rate of 31%, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 20th on this page and posts $36,697 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $35,097 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| California State University-Los Angeles posts an average net price of $3,967 and ranks 21st on this list, reporting $35,097 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $34,320 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| Median federal debt of $12,413 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed is recorded at California State University-Fresno, which ranks 22nd on this page with $34,320 in median earnings four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $31,839 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Sonoma State University admits 93% of applicants and ranks 23rd on this list, with $31,839 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $30,524 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| An average net price of $17,890 accompanies University of California-Santa Cruz's 24th place on this page, alongside $30,524 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Vanguard University of Southern California · Costa Mesa, CA | $28,019 | $21,241 | $17,225 | 62.4% |
| Vanguard University of Southern California, a private nonprofit university in Costa Mesa, reports median earnings of $28,019 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 62%. | |||||
| 26 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $23,649 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University ranks 26th on this list and carries an average net price of $50,062, with an 8-graduate earnings cohort. | |||||
| 27 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $17,470 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| Admitting 98% of applicants, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt posts median earnings of $17,470 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $8,483 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 28 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $11,434 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona sits 28th on this page and holds an Azimuth composite rank of 15th among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 31 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Acting graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing the program. For 5 of the 28 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost of attendance, or the characteristics of the students a program admits. The range and median below cover the 28 schools with a published figure. The spread from top to bottom is $45,389, with University of California-Davis reporting $56,823 and the lowest-listed program at $11,434.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in California
- Top Art & Design Colleges in California by Earnings
- Art & Design Colleges in California for Social Mobility