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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Art History in California

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

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in art history. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality art history programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the art history program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. 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 Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

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

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Art History in California

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s art history students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

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

#2

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#11 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 Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s art history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students.

Read more about Art History at SFSU

#3

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sonoma State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree art history students list, SSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 more about Art History at SSU

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Art History at UC Irvine

#5

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 50 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree art history students per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Art History at UCSB

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 45 degrees to qualified bachelors’s art history students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree art history students per year to attend UC Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Art History at UC Berkeley

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree art history students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Art History Report

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s art history 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 UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students.

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 more about Art History at University of California - Davis

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s art history students in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree art history students.

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 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%.

Full University of California - Riverside Art History Report

#14 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s art history degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students.

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 University of California - San Diego Art History Report

#11

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#10 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s art history degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Art History at UC Santa Cruz

#12

Mills College

Oakland, California
#17 in overall quality

Mills College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This small school is located in Oakland, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

Mills also took the #17 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mills is $22,202 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students.

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.

Full Mills Art History Report

#13

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California
#19 in overall quality

Academy of Art University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Academy of Art University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s art history degrees to qualified students.

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. It costs about $34,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students per year to attend Academy of Art University.

Read more about Art History at Academy of Art University

#14

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Loyola Marymount is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s art history degrees to qualified students.

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 yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $42,861 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students.

The impressive 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Art History at Loyola Marymount

#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 list. Whittier College is a small school located in Whittier, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree art history students list, Whittier has also earned the #20 rank 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 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 full report on Art History at Whittier

#16

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

University of San Francisco ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $36,424 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Art History at University of San Francisco

#17

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Stanford University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

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

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 86%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Stanford University Art History Report

#18

Chapman University

Orange, California
#9 in overall quality

Chapman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. Orange, 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 6 students in 2019-2020.

Chapman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $41,350 for California Bachelor’s Degree Art History students per year to attend Chapman University.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Chapman

#19

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 ranking, coming in at #19. Pepperdine University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s art history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pepperdine, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Art History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pepperdine University is $36,996 for california bachelor’s degree art history students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Art History at Pepperdine University

#20

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Art History Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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 18 bachelors’s 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. It costs about $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree art history students per year to attend University of Southern California.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 USC

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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.

Credits

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

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