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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

27 Ranked Colleges
1,240 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 12,032 people earned their degree in fine arts, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,478 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,240 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality fine arts 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 fine arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine 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 Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

#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 Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Fine Arts Report

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 289 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Fine Arts Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Fine Arts at UC Berkeley

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 CSULB Fine Arts Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 51 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at UC Davis

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Fine Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Fine Arts at Stan State

#9

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#6 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 159 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at San Jose State University

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also took the #12 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full California State University - East Bay Fine Arts Report

#14 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 25 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #14 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Fine Arts Report

#12

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $14,668 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.2%, 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 University of Southern California Fine Arts Report

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 - Chico Fine Arts Report

#14

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#19 in overall quality

Sonoma State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sonoma State University is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $12,263 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full SSU Fine Arts Report

#15

Mills College

Oakland, California
#21 in overall quality

Mills College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Mills also took the #21 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mills is $15,749 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Mills College

#16

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#18 in overall quality

University of Redlands ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $21,763 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of Redlands

#17

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#23 in overall quality

University of the Pacific came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of the Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $21,972 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 87%.

Read more about Fine Arts at University of the Pacific

#18

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Angwin, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Pacific Union College is $15,901 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Pacific Union College Fine Arts Report

#19

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#20 in overall quality

Biola University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $25,135 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Biola Fine Arts Report

#20

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Los Angeles, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $32,367 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount University

#21

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Dominican University of California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. DUofC is located in San Rafael, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

DUofC also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University of California is $27,906 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Fine Arts at Dominican University of California

#22

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

California College of the Arts landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at California College of the Arts, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,555 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California College of the Arts.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 California College of the Arts Fine Arts Report

#23

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#17 in overall quality

University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, USFCA has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $27,690 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USFCA Fine Arts Report

#24

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#11 in overall quality

California Institute of the Arts landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Valencia, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

CalArts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of the Arts is $43,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full CalArts Fine Arts Report

#25

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#15 in overall quality

Art Center College of Design ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Art Center College of Design is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Art Center College of Design has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Art Center College of Design is $42,297 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 Fine Arts at Art Center College of Design

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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