2023 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California
34
Ranked Colleges
4,575
Degrees Awarded
$18,700
Avg Net Price*
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 Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Design & Applied Arts is the 36th most popular major in the country with 36,301 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered a degree in design and applied arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great design and applied arts programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The 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 Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 61 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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 $30-$48k. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 141 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,573 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
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 $30-$48k. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 228 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $11,598 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 University of California - Davis
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 48 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Fresno State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $4,655 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Fresno State
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #5 spot on the 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $13,378 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Jose State
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 55 students 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 $9,055 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
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 more about Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Sacramento
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 113 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #14 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,992 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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 2.6% 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 Design & Applied Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
San Francisco State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 202 students 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 $11,862 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full SFSU Design & Applied Arts Report
Los Angeles Trade Technical College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
Los Angeles Trade Technical College also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Trade Technical College is $9,412 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Los Angeles Trade Technical College Design & Applied Arts Report
University of California - San Diego landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of California - San Diego
San Diego Mesa College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego Mesa College is located in San Diego, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend San Diego Mesa College is $5,543 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full San Diego Mesa College Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #12, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Southern California 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.
USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,345 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Southern California
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 $30-$48k list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $12,049 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Santa Cruz Design & Applied Arts Report
California State University - Chico came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 143 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $13,040 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 more about Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Chico
California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s design degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $10,711 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Monterey Bay
Woodbury University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Burbank, California, and it awarded 30 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Woodbury not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Woodbury is $25,699 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Woodbury Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #17, University of Redlands did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Redlands is located in Redlands, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
University of Redlands did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $22,360 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Redlands.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Design & Applied Arts at University of Redlands
With a ranking of #18, Design Institute of San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Design Institute of San Diego is a private for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Design Institute of San Diego
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 288 students in 2020-2021.
FIDM Los Angeles did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is $41,318 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at FIDM Los Angeles
California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. California College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 114 ’s design 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 yearly cost to attend California College of the Arts is $24,239 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California College of the Arts
University of San Francisco ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $30-$48k 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 $31,994 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at USFCA
Art Center College of Design came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 276 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Art Center College of Design has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Art Center College of Design is $43,406 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. 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%.
Full Art Center College of Design Design & Applied Arts Report
Otis College of Art and Design ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 129 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Otis College of Art and Design did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Otis College of Art and Design is $40,153 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design
Chapman University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Orange, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chapman has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman is $32,071 for california design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Chapman Design & Applied Arts Report
Cogswell College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cogswell is located in San Jose, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $27,009 for California Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cogswell.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.
Full Cogswell College Design & Applied Arts Report
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