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2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k

9 Ranked Colleges
1,223 Degrees Awarded
$24,687 Avg Salary
Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 36,854 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,542 and had an average of $27,114 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 4,692 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,196 and $27,472 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 1,223 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 9 colleges that offer a degree 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.

More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california associate degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 10 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 19 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

SRJC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,027 for california associate degree design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SRJC.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Santa Rosa Junior College

#2

Mt. San Antonio College

Walnut, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mt. San Antonio College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s design degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, Mt. SAC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $4,374 for california associate degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Mt. SAC

#3

Los Angeles Trade Technical College

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Los Angeles Trade Technical College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a fairly large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 29 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Los Angeles Trade Technical College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Los Angeles Trade Technical College is $8,211 for california associate degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 318 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIDM Los Angeles, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FIDM Los Angeles is $42,720 for california associate degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#6

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

Mount Saint Mary’s University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associates’s design degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSMU is $26,880 for california associate degree design students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Mount Saint Mary’s University

#7

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 18 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $38,617 for California Associate Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Academy of Art University Design & Applied Arts Report

#8

Platt College - Ontario

Ontario, California

Platt College - Ontario came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Platt College - Ontario is located in Ontario, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.

Platt College - Ontario also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Platt College - Ontario is $20,834 for California Associate Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - Ontario

#9

Platt College - San Diego

San Diego, California

Platt College - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Platt College - San Diego is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 75 associates’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree design students whose families make $48-$75k list, Platt College - San Diego has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,435 for California Associate Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Platt College - San Diego.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Platt College - San Diego

#10

Interior Designers Institute

Newport Beach, California

Interior Designers Institute ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Interior Designers Institute is located in Newport Beach, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 associates’s design degrees to qualified students.

Interior Designers Institute not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Interior Designers Institute is $30,383 for California Associate Degree Design students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Interior Designers Institute

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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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