2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 39,860 people earned their degree in fine and studio arts, making the major the 29th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, fine and studio arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $23,847 and had an average of $28,316 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 6,942 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $23,810 and $30,915 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 2,158 fine and studio arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Fine & Studio 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 an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 for an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 4 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, California

#1 in overall quality

$4,975 Average Net Price

$26,715 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Santa Rosa Junior College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 25 associates’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, SRJC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Rosa Junior College is $4,975 for california associate degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SRJC Fine & Studio Arts Report

#2

Mt. San Antonio College

Walnut, California

#4 in overall quality

$1,599 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mt. San Antonio College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s Fine Arts degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Mt. SAC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mt. SAC is $1,599 for California Associate Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Mt. SAC

#3

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

#3 in overall quality

$34,125 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Academy of Art University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 9 associates’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $34,125 for California Associate Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Academy of Art University.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Academy of Art University

#4

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

#2 in overall quality

$38,804 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for an Associate in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 5 associates’s Fine Arts degrees in 2019-2020.

FIDM Los Angeles also took the #2 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $38,804 for California Associate Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIDM Los Angeles.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at FIDM Los Angeles

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $30-$48k)

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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