American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood. Photo courtesy of Google Maps, Copyright 2018 Google
See Directory of Private Accredited Two-Year Colleges for links, addresses & telephone numbers
| College | Enrollment | Year Established |
|---|---|---|
| American Academy of Dramatic Arts West | 282 | 1974 |
| Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) | 3,420 | 1969 |
| San Joaquin Valley College (Antelope Valley-Lancaster Campus) | ** | 2012 |
*Accredited by a commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
** School declined to provide enrollment numbers.
America's first conservatory for the training of professional actors, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, was founded in New York in 1884 and has had a campus in Pasadena since 1974.
In 2010, the National Polytechnic College of Engineering and Oceaneering, formerly known as College of Oceaneering), ceased taking any new students. It was one of the world's largest and best-known diver training facilities, founded in 1967 as the Commercial Diving Center. It was located in Los Angeles Harbor where all training was on or near the water. The school trained more than 7,000 divers since its beginnings. It trained entry-level professional divers to become underwater welders, underwater inspectors and emergency medicine technicians. Those interested in the former college’s programs are being referred to National University Polytechnic Institute of San Diego.
Salvation Army members (or soldiers) may apply to the fully accredited Crestmont College (formerly The Salvation Army College for Officer Training) for acceptance and enrollment as cadets in the Salvation Army Officer Training Program. The training is a two-year residential program at the campus in Rancho Palos Verdes. Upon graduation, cadets become fully ordained ministers and commissioned officers in the Salvation Army. They are then appointed to an assignment of full-time service.
