2023 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $75-$110k) in California
32
Ranked Colleges
4,575
Degrees Awarded
$26,300
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 32 colleges that offer 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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.
Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $75-$110k) in California
Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #1 spot on the list. 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.
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 yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $18,728 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full University of California - Davis Design & Applied Arts Report
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 $75-$110k. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 141 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $15,101 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at CSULB
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 61 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,697 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCLA Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Los Angeles Trade Technical College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. This medium-sized school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 56 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Los Angeles Trade Technical College is $15,234 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 201 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $75-$110k list, San Jose State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $21,035 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Full San Jose State Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 48 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Fresno State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $12,789 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Fresno State Design & Applied Arts Report
San Diego Mesa College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in San Diego, California, this fairly large public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,707 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Diego Mesa College.
Full San Diego Mesa College Design & Applied Arts Report
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 55 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $16,925 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 Design & Applied Arts Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 113 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,166 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Design & Applied Arts Report
San Francisco State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $75-$110k list, SFSU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $20,159 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SFSU Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #11, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $20,906 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of California - San Diego
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Chico 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 $75-$110k list, Chico State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $20,708 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 Chico State
California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 32 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $18,412 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 108 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $22,380 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Santa Cruz
University of Southern California came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 67 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,363 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend USC.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at USC
Woodbury University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Woodbury University is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
Woodbury also took the #19 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Woodbury University is $34,434 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 25 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Redlands did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $23,742 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full University of Redlands Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #18, California College of the Arts did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 114 ’s design degrees to qualified students.
California College of the Arts also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend California College of the Arts is $35,494 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. 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.
Full California College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #19, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $40,983 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University
Cogswell College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cogswell College 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.
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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Cogswell College
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is $40,945 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles
Columbia College Hollywood came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Tarzana, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s design degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Hollywood is $33,831 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Columbia College Hollywood
With a ranking of #23, Art Center College of Design did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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.
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. The estimated yearly cost for Art Center College of Design is $48,702 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design
Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 24 ’s design degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california design students whose families make $75-$110k list, Chapman has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $42,077 for California Design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Chapman University
Otis College of Art and Design came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 129 degrees to qualified ’s design students in 2020-2021.
Otis College of Art and Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Otis College of Art and Design is $46,851 for california design students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design
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