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2023 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

43 Ranked Colleges
6,526 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 43 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine and studio arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent fine and studio arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

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The fine arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 $48-$75k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Fine & Studio Arts (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 107 ’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 & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of California - Berkeley

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 & Studio Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 177 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $5,700 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Cal State LA

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 419 ’s Fine Arts degrees 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 $9,017 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 89%.

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

5

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 424 students 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 $11,189 for california 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 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 came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $13,275 for California 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 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Fine & Studio Arts Report

7

University of California - Davis landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 86 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,193 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Davis Fine & Studio Arts Report

8

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 100 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,854 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k 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 & Studio Arts Report

9

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 119 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Fine & Studio Arts Report

10

University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 59 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCR has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for california 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 91%. 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%.

Read more about Fine & Studio Arts at University of California - Riverside

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 40 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,030 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

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

Full Fresno State Fine & Studio Arts Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,310 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

13

California State University - Northridge ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 307 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

CSUN also made our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad 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 full report on Fine & Studio Arts at California State University - Northridge

14
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 82 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,826 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USC.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Southern California Fine & Studio Arts Report

15

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 147 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,567 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Fine & Studio Arts Report

16
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 230 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,698 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full San Diego State University Fine & Studio Arts Report

17
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #17, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 216 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $17,338 for california 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 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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at San Jose State University

18
San Diego Mesa College crest
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

San Diego Mesa College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego Mesa College is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Mesa College is $8,272 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full San Diego Mesa College Fine & Studio Arts Report

19

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $15,615 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Fine & Studio Arts at Cal State East Bay

20

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus 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 California State University - Stanislaus is $7,976 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Fine & Studio Arts at Stan State

21

California State University - Sacramento came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $12,602 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Fine & Studio Arts Report

22

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s Fine Arts degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. 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

23

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s Fine Arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,333 for california fine arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

24
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 99 diplomas to qualified ’s Fine Arts students in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,065 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Full SFSU Fine & Studio Arts Report

25

California State University - Chico ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 65 ’s Fine Arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $16,738 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Chico State Fine & Studio Arts Report

Notes and References

References

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