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2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

27 Ranked Colleges
1,240 Degrees Awarded
$22,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

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 Getting Aid” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 27 colleges that offer 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the fine arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine Arts Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts in California (With Aid)

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 289 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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 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%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Cal State Fullerton

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s fine arts 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 is $11,496 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

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

Read more about Fine Arts at Stanford

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 190 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach 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 #4 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 59 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #2 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts 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 94%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#5

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 159 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid per year to attend San Jose State.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Fine Arts at San Jose State University

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. 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. It costs about $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Read more about Fine Arts at Cal State East Bay

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 62 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full UC Berkeley Fine Arts Report

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid 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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Stan State

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 91%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Fine Arts Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Davis Fine Arts Report

#14 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on Fine Arts at UCSD

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Chico came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Chico State

#13

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#19 in overall quality

Sonoma State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s fine arts 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 $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid per year to attend Sonoma State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SSU Fine Arts Report

#14

Mills College

Oakland, California
#21 in overall quality

Mills College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mills is a small school located in Oakland, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid list, Mills has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,202 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Mills College.

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 2.3% 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 Mills College

#15

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Redlands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Redlands, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $27,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid 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 more about Fine Arts at University of Redlands

#16

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend University of Southern California.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 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.

Full University of Southern California Fine Arts Report

#17

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

It costs about $21,835 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid per year to attend PUC.

Read full report on Fine Arts at PUC

#18

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#23 in overall quality

University of the Pacific came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Stockton, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

Pacific also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Pacific is $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at University of the Pacific

#19

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#20 in overall quality

Biola University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Biola is a medium-sized school located in La Mirada, California that handed out 30 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Biola did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $31,859 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid per year to attend Biola University.

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 Fine Arts at Biola

#20

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loyola Marymount University is a medium-sized school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s fine arts degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for Loyola Marymount University is $42,861 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

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. 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 full report on Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount

#21

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California
#24 in overall quality

Dominican University of California landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Rafael, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

DUofC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University of California is $32,978 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Dominican University of California

#22

Laguna College of Art and Design

Laguna Beach, California
#25 in overall quality

Laguna College of Art and Design landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Laguna Beach, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at LCAD, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $35,355 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend Laguna College of Art and Design.

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%.

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

#23

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#11 in overall quality

California Institute of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. California Institute of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 22 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CalArts also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend CalArts is $50,412 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students with aid.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at California Institute of the Arts

#24

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#17 in overall quality

University of San Francisco ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $36,424 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid 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 more about Fine Arts at USFCA

#25

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

California College of the Arts landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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. The estimated yearly cost for California College of the Arts is $33,876 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at California College of the Arts

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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