2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
35
Ranked Colleges
4,575
Degrees Awarded
$18,300
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 36,301 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 36th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $25,481 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 4,575 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,016 and $26,876 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in design and applied arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent design and applied arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.
Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 61 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,037 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 141 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,663 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Long Beach
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 228 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis also took the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UC Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 201 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $12,158 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national 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 University Design & Applied Arts Report
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 48 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,859 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Fresno
California State University - Sacramento landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 55 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,163 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #7, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 202 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $10,705 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full SFSU Design & Applied Arts Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 113 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $10,349 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Southern California landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,287 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Southern California
University of California - San Diego ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 21 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $9,823 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of California - San Diego
Los Angeles Trade Technical College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Los Angeles Trade Technical College also took the #25 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,142 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Los Angeles Trade Technical College.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College
San Diego Mesa College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 38 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Mesa College is $4,672 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at San Diego Mesa College
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 108 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,038 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at UC Santa Cruz
California State University - Chico ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 143 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chico State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $11,754 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Chico
California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. California State University - Monterey Bay is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $9,192 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at CSUMB
Woodbury University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.
Woodbury did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $25,495 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Woodbury University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. 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.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Woodbury
University of Redlands did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution located in Redlands, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Redlands also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $20,409 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Redlands
California College of the Arts landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California College of the Arts is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at California College of the Arts, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California College of the Arts is $29,530 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California College of the Arts
Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. San Francisco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.
Academy of Art University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $33,484 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 more about Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University
With a ranking of #20, FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 288 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
FIDM Los Angeles not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for FIDM Los Angeles is $36,764 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at FIDM Los Angeles
University of San Francisco landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of San Francisco is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $0-$30k list, USFCA has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $32,023 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at USFCA
With a ranking of #22, Art Center College of Design did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 276 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
Art Center College of Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $40,209 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Art Center College of Design.
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%. The undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design
Otis College of Art and Design ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Otis College of Art and Design is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $0-$30k list, Otis College of Art and Design has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $40,627 for California Design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Otis College of Art and Design.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design
With a ranking of #24, Cogswell College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cogswell is a small school located in San Jose, California that handed out 29 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cogswell College is $22,524 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cogswell Design & Applied Arts Report
Laguna College of Art and Design landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. LCAD is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Laguna Beach, California. It awarded 100 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
LCAD also took the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $33,241 for california design students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend LCAD.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at LCAD
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