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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Graphic Design in California

21 Ranked Colleges
493 Degrees Awarded
$36,900 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Graphic Design is the 107th most popular major in the country with 8,710 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across California, there were 1,327 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 493 graphic design graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in graphic design. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular graphic design programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree graphic design students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Graphic Design Report

2
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Art Center College of Design landed the #2 spot on the list. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 75 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Art Center College of Design

3
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, California Baptist University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Baptist University Graphic Design Report

4
LA Film School crest
Los Angeles Film School
Hollywood, California

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Los Angeles Film School landed the #4 spot on the list. LA Film School is a medium-sized school located in Hollywood, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Los Angeles Film School

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 California State University - Sacramento Graphic Design Report

6

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 31 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Fresno State

7
LCAD crest
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, California

Laguna College of Art and Design ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Laguna College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Laguna Beach, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 LCAD Graphic Design Report

8
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

With a ranking of #8, Chapman University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Graphic Design at Chapman University

9
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #9, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full San Jose State Graphic Design Report

10
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. 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 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 full report on Graphic Design at Point Loma Nazarene University

11

With a ranking of #11, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California Institute of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 12 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CalArts Graphic Design Report

12
Columbia College Hollywood crest
Columbia College Hollywood
Tarzana, California

With a ranking of #12, Columbia College Hollywood did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Columbia College Hollywood is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tarzana, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Graphic Design at Columbia College Hollywood

13

Concordia University, Irvine landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Concordia University, Irvine is a small school located in Irvine, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s graphic design degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Irvine Graphic Design Report

14

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

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

15
PUC crest
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California

With a ranking of #15, Pacific Union College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. PUC is located in Angwin, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Graphic Design at PUC

15

Notre Dame de Namur University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. NDNU is located in Belmont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Notre Dame de Namur University Graphic Design Report

17

Dominican University of California ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. San Rafael, 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 3 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 DUofC Graphic Design Report

18
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

With a ranking of #18, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Fresno, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s graphic design students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on Graphic Design at Fresno Pacific

18
La Sierra crest
La Sierra University
Riverside, California

La Sierra University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. La Sierra is located in Riverside, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Graphic Design at La Sierra

20
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California

Otis College of Art and Design came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Otis College of Art and Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

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

20
ULV crest
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

University of La Verne came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Graphic Design Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. ULV is located in La Verne, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s graphic design degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of La Verne

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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