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2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

13 Ranked Colleges
469 Degrees Awarded
$30,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Graphic Design is the 105th most popular major in the country with 8,541 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 1,366 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 469 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree in graphic design. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great graphic design programs and 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 graphic design program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Graphic Design Schools

The graphic design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Graphic Design in California (With Aid)

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

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%.

Read more about Graphic Design at California State University - Fresno

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full San Jose State University Graphic Design Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Sac State

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #4 spot on the list. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid 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.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Graphic Design Report

#5

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Point Loma Nazarene University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Point Loma Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

PLNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Point Loma Nazarene University is $33,044 for california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at Point Loma Nazarene University

#6

Laguna College of Art and Design

Laguna Beach, California
#6 in overall quality

Laguna College of Art and Design came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Laguna Beach, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s graphic design degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

LCAD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $35,355 for California Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend Laguna College of Art and Design.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at Laguna College of Art and Design

#7

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Art Center College of Design did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 67 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid list, Art Center College of Design has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Art Center College of Design is $47,080 for California Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about Graphic Design at Art Center College of Design

#8

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California
#12 in overall quality

Dominican University of California ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. DUofC is located in San Rafael, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid list, DUofC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DUofC is $32,978 for california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Graphic Design at DUofC

#9

Chapman University

Orange, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Chapman University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Chapman University is located in Orange, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

Chapman also took the #3 spot in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $41,350 for california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Graphic Design at Chapman University

#10

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#4 in overall quality

California College of the Arts ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

California College of the Arts also made our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $33,876 for california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid per year to attend California College of the Arts.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Graphic Design at California College of the Arts

#9 in overall quality

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid list, FIDM Los Angeles has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $41,505 for California Bachelor’s Degree Graphic Design students with aid per year to attend FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles.

Full FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles Graphic Design Report

#12

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#8 in overall quality

California Institute of the Arts landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Valencia, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2019-2020.

CalArts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CalArts is $50,412 for california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Graphic Design at CalArts

#13

Los Angeles Film School

Hollywood, California
#13 in overall quality

Los Angeles Film School ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Graphic Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles Film School is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in Hollywood, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2019-2020.

LA Film School not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for LA Film School is $30,793 for california bachelor’s degree graphic design students with aid.

Read full report on Graphic Design at LA Film School

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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.

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