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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Art History in California (With Aid)

20 Ranked Colleges
393 Degrees Awarded
$22,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Art History is the 175th most popular major in the country with 3,716 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 491 art history graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 393 art history graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in art history. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent art history programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the art history program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The art history 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 Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

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. 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 Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Art History in California (With Aid)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s art history students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $11,496 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Stanford Art History Report

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s art history students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid list, UC Irvine has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Art History at University of California - Irvine

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 68 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Art History at University of California - Los Angeles

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #4 spot on the list. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid.

The low 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Art History at University of California - Riverside

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 45 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Art History at UC Berkeley

#6

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Art History at UCSB

#7

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#11 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid list, SFSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Art History at San Francisco State University

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Art History at University of California - Davis

#14 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCSD Art History Report

#18 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 7 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 Art History at Cal Poly Pomona

#11

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#10 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 UC Santa Cruz Art History Report

#12

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#16 in overall quality

Sonoma State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid list, SSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid per year to attend SSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Art History at Sonoma State University

#13

Mills College

Oakland, California
#17 in overall quality

Mills College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mills College is a small school located in Oakland, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

Mills not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $22,202 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid per year to attend Mills College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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 more about Art History at Mills

#14

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full USC Art History Report

#15

Whittier College

Whittier, California
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Whittier College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Whittier, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s art history students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Whittier, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $24,570 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid per year to attend Whittier College.

The low 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%.

Read more about Art History at Whittier

#16

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Academy of Art University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s art history students in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $34,145 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid.

Full Academy of Art University Art History Report

#17

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s art history degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount is $42,861 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid.

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. The 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 Art History at Loyola Marymount University

#18

Chapman University

Orange, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Chapman University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Chapman University is located in Orange, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s art history degrees to qualified students.

Chapman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chapman University is $41,350 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 students.

Read more about Art History at Chapman University

#19

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. USFCA is located in San Francisco, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s art history degrees to qualified students.

USFCA also took the #15 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $36,424 for california bachelor’s degree art history students with aid per year to attend USFCA.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Art History at University of San Francisco

#20

Pepperdine University

Malibu, California
#13 in overall quality

Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Malibu, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s art history students in 2019-2020.

Pepperdine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine University is $36,996 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 85%.

Read more about Art History at Pepperdine University

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jorge Royan.

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