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2023 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

43 Ranked Colleges
6,526 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Fine & Studio Arts is the 31st most popular major in the country with 37,413 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, fine and studio arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $25,051 and had an average of $25,492 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 6,526 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,004 and $23,549 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer a degree in fine and studio arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality fine and studio arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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 and studio arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio Arts Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Fine Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 107 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california 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 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Fine & Studio Arts Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 155 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for California 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 96%. The low undergrad 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 & Studio Arts at UCLA

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 419 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,590 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. 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 Cal State Fullerton Fine & Studio Arts Report

4

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 177 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,887 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 & Studio Arts at Cal State LA

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 424 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,663 for California 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 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%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at California State University - Long Beach

6

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,540 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at UC Irvine

7

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 119 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #4 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSB Fine & Studio Arts Report

8

University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at UC Davis

9
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 82 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,287 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full USC Fine & Studio Arts Report

10

University of California - San Diego ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 53 degrees to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

UCSD also took the #13 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for California 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - San Diego Fine & Studio Arts Report

11

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 Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 100 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,985 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at CSUSB

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 307 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $6,266 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at CSUN

13
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 230 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at SDSU

14
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 216 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, San Jose State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $12,158 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at San Jose State University

15

California State University - Fresno came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,859 for California 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 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Fresno State

16

University of California - Riverside came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 59 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at University of California - Riverside

17

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,173 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 94%.

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

18

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 147 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,038 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 & Studio Arts at University of California - Santa Cruz

19

California State University - East Bay came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 118 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay also took the #21 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $9,975 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Cal State East Bay

20

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 60 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,163 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 & Studio Arts at California State University - Sacramento

21

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $4,122 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

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

22
San Diego Mesa College crest
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

San Diego Mesa College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,672 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego Mesa College.

Full San Diego Mesa College Fine & Studio Arts Report

23
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #23, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,705 for california fine arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFSU.

The undergrad 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 & Studio Arts at SFSU

24

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 65 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,754 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at California State University - Chico

25

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 45 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,657 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at CSUDH

Notes and References

References

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