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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in California

9 Ranked Colleges
241 Degrees Awarded
$38,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Design Schools for a Master's in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Design & Applied Arts is the 34th most popular major in the country with 36,854 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 241 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking looked at 9 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the design and applied arts program at the school. 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 for a Master’s in California” 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 for a Master’s in California

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

Top 9 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Design & Applied Arts Report

#2

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s design degrees to qualified students.

SFSU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at San Francisco State University are $17,944, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at San Francisco State University

#3

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Academy of Art University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California list. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 102 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree design students list, Academy of Art University has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Academy of Art University are $27,688, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University

#4

Laguna College of Art and Design

Laguna Beach, California
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Laguna College of Art and Design landed the #4 spot on the list. LCAD is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Laguna Beach, California. It awarded 9 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

LCAD also took the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at LCAD are $37,700.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design

#5

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Art Center College of Design. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California list. Art Center College of Design is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 29 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

Art Center College of Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Art Center College of Design are $49,090, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Art Center College of Design Design & Applied Arts Report

#6

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 25 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Southern California

#7

Otis College of Art and Design

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

Otis College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 11 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Otis College of Art and Design, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Otis College of Art and Design are $49,680, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Otis College of Art and Design Design & Applied Arts Report

#8

New York Film Academy

Burbank, California
#9 in overall quality

New York Film Academy came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California ranking. New York Film Academy is a small private for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 8 masters’s design degrees in 2019-2020.

New York Film Academy also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at New York Film Academy are $35,457, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at New York Film Academy

#9

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Master’s in California ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s design degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree design students list, California College of the Arts has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California College of the Arts are $53,795, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report

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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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