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Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

5 Colleges
$18,693 Avg Salary
$14,037 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree School for You

Drama & Theater Arts is the #47 most popular major in California with 2,820 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 5 schools in California to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Colleges.

Top California Schools for an Associate in Drama & Theater Arts

Our 2023 rankings named American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles the best school in California for drama and theater arts students working on their associate degree. American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Theater majors at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles take out an average of $11,484 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $387, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles Report

The excellent associate degree programs at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best drama and theater arts schools in California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

#3

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Academy of Art University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

Full Drama & Theater Arts at Academy of Art University Report

#4

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at San Diego Mesa College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best drama and theater arts schools in California. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Diego.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at San Diego Mesa College

#5

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York Film Academy. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Drama & Theater Arts Associate Degree Schools in California list. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Burbank.

While working on their Associate Degree, theater majors at New York Film Academy accumulate an average of around $16,801 in student debt.

Read full report on Drama & Theater Arts at New York Film Academy

Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Drama & Theater Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 230
Oregon 176
Nevada 82
Hawaii 20
Alaska 13

One of 10 majors within the area of study, drama and theater arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Design & Applied Arts 36,301
Music 25,910
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 5 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Donald Judge.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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