2023 Best Value Colleges for Fine Arts in California (With Aid)
28
Ranked Colleges
1,484
Degrees Awarded
$20,900
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 11,922 people earned their degree in fine arts, making the major the 66th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 1,484 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 28 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine Arts in California (With Aid)
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 323 ’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #11 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for california fine arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 89%.
Read more about Fine Arts at California State University - Fullerton
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 204 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also made our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $10,054 for California Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full CSULB Fine Arts Report
Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 66 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for California Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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%.
Read more about Fine Arts at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 147 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $16,542 for california fine arts students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full San Jose State Fine Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $15,768 for california fine arts students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Fine Arts at University of California - Davis
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 89 ’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.
Cal State East Bay also took the #12 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $13,298 for california fine arts students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 - East Bay Fine Arts Report
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 61 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $16,252 for california fine arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCSB Fine Arts Report
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 41 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also took the #9 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for california fine arts students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine Arts at UCSD
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for California Fine Arts students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 California State University - Northridge Fine Arts Report
California State University - Sacramento came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for California Fine Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine Arts at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 5 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,107 for california fine arts students with aid per year to attend CSUSB.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUSB Fine Arts Report
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 5 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,566 for California Fine Arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 more about Fine Arts at Stan State
California State University - Chico ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $16,218 for california fine arts students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Fine Arts at California State University - Chico
San Diego State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $13,845 for California Fine Arts students with aid.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine Arts at SDSU
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 49 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california fine arts students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about Fine Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Sonoma State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 9 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
SSU also made our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $17,563 for california fine arts students with aid per year to attend Sonoma State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SSU Fine Arts Report
With a ranking of #17, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 5 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,930 for california fine arts students with aid per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Fine Arts at UC Santa Cruz
University of Southern California ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california fine arts students with aid list, USC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $32,569 for california fine arts students with aid.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine Arts at USC
University of Redlands landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit institution located in Redlands, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california fine arts students with aid list, University of Redlands has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,098 for California Fine Arts students with aid per year to attend University of Redlands.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Redlands Fine Arts Report
Biola University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california fine arts students with aid list, Biola has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $33,269 for california fine arts students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine Arts at Biola University
Loyola Marymount University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $44,467 for california fine arts students with aid.
The undergraduate 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. The undergrad 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 full report on Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount University
California College of the Arts came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.
California College of the Arts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $33,122 for california fine arts students with aid per year to attend California College of the Arts.
The undergraduate 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California College of the Arts Fine Arts Report
University of San Francisco landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.
USFCA also took the #14 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USFCA is $40,053 for california fine arts students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Fine Arts at USFCA
Laguna College of Art and Design came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Laguna College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Laguna Beach, California. It awarded 35 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.
LCAD also took the #22 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Laguna College of Art and Design is $35,944 for California Fine Arts students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Fine Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design
Art Center College of Design ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
Art Center College of Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Art Center College of Design is $46,054 for California Fine Arts students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read more about Fine Arts at Art Center College of Design
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