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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

27 Ranked Colleges
1,240 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Fine Arts is the 67th most popular major in the country with 12,032 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered a degree in fine arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fine 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 fine arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Stanford University

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 289 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #10 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 more about Fine Arts at Cal State Fullerton

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of California - Berkeley

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 190 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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

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 $48-$75k list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 59 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #2 spot 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 $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Fine Arts Report

#6

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,343 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Fine Arts Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis Fine Arts Report

#8

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#6 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 159 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Fine Arts at San Jose State

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at California State University - Stanislaus

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 25 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 Fine Arts at University of California - San Diego

#11

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students 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 $20,050 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Fine Arts at USC

#12 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 50 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $13,048 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Fine Arts at Cal State East Bay

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

Chico State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Chico State Fine Arts Report

#14

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#19 in overall quality

Sonoma State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

SSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,644 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sonoma State University.

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 more about Fine Arts at SSU

#15

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#18 in overall quality

University of Redlands came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Redlands has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $24,866 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Redlands.

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 Fine Arts at University of Redlands

#16

Mills College

Oakland, California
#21 in overall quality

Mills College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mills is $21,661 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Mills College

#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 $48-$75k ranking. University of the Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $26,047 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of the Pacific.

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 Pacific

#18

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

With a ranking of #18, Pacific Union College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pacific Union College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Angwin, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Pacific Union College is $20,083 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Pacific Union College

#19

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

California College of the Arts landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

California College of the Arts also took the #16 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California College of the Arts is $28,699 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 more about Fine Arts at California College of the Arts

#20

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#20 in overall quality

Biola University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Biola University is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, Biola has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Biola.

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%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Biola University

#21

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 53 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 Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount University is $34,284 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 full report on Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount

#22

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California
#24 in overall quality

Dominican University of California came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. DUofC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Rafael, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

DUofC also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University of California is $29,801 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. 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 Dominican University of California

#23

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California Institute of the Arts is a small school located in Valencia, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CalArts also took the #11 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of the Arts is $46,265 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full CalArts Fine Arts Report

#24

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#17 in overall quality

University of San Francisco came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, USFCA has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USFCA is $32,338 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Fine Arts at University of San Francisco

#25

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#15 in overall quality

Art Center College of Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. 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 $48-$75k list, Art Center College of Design has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $42,445 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Art Center College of Design.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Art Center College of Design Fine Arts Report

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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