Program Payoff

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft programs in California

130 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. 2 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $17,794 at New York Film Academy.

What this work pays in California

Producers and Directors in California earn a median of $129,790 a year across 34,110 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.

Also leads toMedianJobs in California
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$99,4109,820
Writers and Authors$86,4808,390
Set and Exhibit Designers$105,0302,690
Music Directors and Composers$93,0902,510
Costume Attendants$72,0301,620

Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

Schools

SchoolCredentialMedian debtGraduate earnings, 2 yrsGraduates
New York Film Academy Burbank Associate's degree $14,750 $17,794 (24 grads) 6
New York Film Academy Burbank Undergraduate certificate $5,729 $11,763 (68 grads) 87
Academy of Art University San Francisco Associate's degree — not published 1
Allan Hancock College Santa Maria Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Allan Hancock College Santa Maria Associate's degree — not published 5
American River College Sacramento Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
American River College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 11
Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster Associate's degree — not published 7
Bakersfield College Bakersfield Associate's degree — not published 16
Butte College Oroville Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
Butte College Oroville Associate's degree — not published 6
Cabrillo College Aptos Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Cabrillo College Aptos Associate's degree — not published 9
Canada College Redwood City Associate's degree — not published 0
Cerritos College Norwalk Associate's degree — not published 4
Chabot College Hayward Associate's degree — not published 8
Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga Associate's degree — not published 8
Citrus College Glendora Undergraduate certificate — not published 5
Citrus College Glendora Associate's degree — not published 29
City College of San Francisco San Francisco Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
City College of San Francisco San Francisco Associate's degree — not published 0
Coalinga College Coalinga Associate's degree — not published 0
College of Marin Kentfield Associate's degree — not published 4
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita Associate's degree — not published 8
College of the Desert Palm Desert Associate's degree — not published 6
College of the Sequoias Visalia Associate's degree — not published 9
College of the Siskiyous Weed Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
College of the Siskiyous Weed Associate's degree — not published 3
Cosumnes River College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 0
Crafton Hills College Yucaipa Associate's degree — not published 8
Cuesta College San Luis Obispo Associate's degree — not published 6
Cypress College Cypress Undergraduate certificate — not published 7
Cypress College Cypress Associate's degree — not published 12
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill Associate's degree — not published 13
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park Undergraduate certificate — not published 34
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park Associate's degree — not published 13
El Camino Community College District Torrance Associate's degree — not published 10
Folsom Lake College Folsom Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Folsom Lake College Folsom Associate's degree — not published 6
Foothill College Los Altos Hills Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Foothill College Los Altos Hills Associate's degree — not published 7
Fresno City College Fresno Associate's degree — not published 16
Fullerton College Fullerton Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Fullerton College Fullerton Associate's degree — not published 19
Gavilan College Gilroy Associate's degree — not published 1
Glendale Community College Glendale Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Glendale Community College Glendale Associate's degree — not published 6
Golden West College Huntington Beach Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Golden West College Huntington Beach Associate's degree — not published 8
Grossmont College El Cajon Undergraduate certificate — not published 17
Grossmont College El Cajon Associate's degree — not published 29
Hartnell College Salinas Associate's degree — not published 7
Irvine Valley College Irvine Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
Irvine Valley College Irvine Associate's degree — not published 8
Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe Associate's degree — not published 0
Laney College Oakland Associate's degree — not published 1
Las Positas College Livermore Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
Las Positas College Livermore Associate's degree — not published 3
Long Beach City College Long Beach Associate's degree — not published 8
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles Undergraduate certificate — not published 3
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 6
Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar Associate's degree — not published 2
Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills Associate's degree — not published 9
Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Associate's degree — not published 3
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen Associate's degree — not published 8
Los Medanos College Pittsburg Associate's degree — not published 8
Mendocino College Ukiah Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Mendocino College Ukiah Associate's degree — not published 4
Merced College Merced Associate's degree — not published 4
MiraCosta College Oceanside Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
MiraCosta College Oceanside Associate's degree — not published 9
Modesto Junior College Modesto Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Modesto Junior College Modesto Associate's degree — not published 10
Monterey Peninsula College Monterey Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Monterey Peninsula College Monterey Associate's degree — not published 2
Moorpark College Moorpark Undergraduate certificate — not published 7
Moorpark College Moorpark Associate's degree — not published 18
Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles Undergraduate certificate — not published —
Mt San Antonio College Walnut Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Mt San Antonio College Walnut Associate's degree — not published 13
Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto Associate's degree — not published 7
Napa Valley College Napa Associate's degree — not published 3
Ohlone College Fremont Undergraduate certificate — not published —
Ohlone College Fremont Associate's degree — not published 6
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa Associate's degree — not published 9
Pacific Union College Angwin Associate's degree — not published 0
Palomar College San Marcos Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Palomar College San Marcos Associate's degree — not published 4
Pasadena City College Pasadena Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Pasadena City College Pasadena Associate's degree — not published 5
Rio Hondo College Whittier Associate's degree — not published 4
Riverside City College Riverside Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
Riverside City College Riverside Associate's degree — not published 12
Sacramento City College Sacramento Associate's degree — not published 5
Saddleback College Mission Viejo Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Saddleback College Mission Viejo Associate's degree — not published 10
San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino Associate's degree — not published 4
San Diego City College San Diego Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
San Diego City College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 3
San Diego Mesa College San Diego Associate's degree — not published 4
San Joaquin Delta College Stockton Undergraduate certificate — not published —
San Joaquin Delta College Stockton Associate's degree — not published 6
San Jose City College San Jose Associate's degree — not published 1
Santa Ana College Santa Ana Undergraduate certificate — not published 2
Santa Ana College Santa Ana Associate's degree — not published 9
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara Associate's degree — not published 4
Santa Monica College Santa Monica Undergraduate certificate — not published 6
Santa Monica College Santa Monica Associate's degree — not published 34
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa Undergraduate certificate — not published 10
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa Associate's degree — not published 15
Shasta College Redding Associate's degree — not published 3
Sierra College Rocklin Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Sierra College Rocklin Associate's degree — not published 8
Solano Community College Fairfield Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Solano Community College Fairfield Associate's degree — not published 7
Southwestern College Chula Vista Undergraduate certificate — not published 0
Southwestern College Chula Vista Associate's degree — not published 3
Ventura College Ventura Associate's degree — not published 7
West Los Angeles College Culver City Associate's degree — not published 2
West Valley College Saratoga Undergraduate certificate — not published 1
West Valley College Saratoga Associate's degree — not published 8
Yuba College Marysville Associate's degree — not published 4

A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.

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The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft — nothing else, and nothing in between.

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Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.