College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California

45 Colleges in California
6,526 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$25,004 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #31 in popularity, fine & studio arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 45 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 6,526 degrees in fine & studio arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Fine & Studio Arts School

Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California Your choice of fine & studio arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Fine & Studio Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Fine & Studio Arts Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Fine Arts
Bachelor's Degrees in Fine Arts
Master's Degrees in Fine Arts
Doctor's Degrees in Fine Arts

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to 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.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts in California

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fine arts degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top California Schools in Fine Arts

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$28,913 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 82 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of about $3,909 over the typical income of fine & studio arts graduates.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Southern California

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,475 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in fine & studio arts has to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 107 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley make $2,471 more than the average fine arts student.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
155 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$19,792 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 155 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the fine arts program make about $19,792 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Los Angeles

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$21,605 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Santa Barbara is a good option for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were approximately 119 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $21,605.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Santa Barbara

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
114 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$23,943 Median Starting Salary

UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the large city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were about 114 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, fine arts degree recipients typically earn around $23,943 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Irvine

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
216 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$31,231 Median Starting Salary

San Jose State is a very large public university located in the city of San Jose. This university ranks 23rd out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 216 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State in the most recent data year. Those fine & studio arts students who get their degree from San Jose State University receive $6,227 more than the average fine arts graduate.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from San Jose State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$23,318 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were roughly 86 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, fine arts degree recipients typically make about $23,318 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Davis

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
424 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

CSULB is a very large public university located in the city of Long Beach. This university ranks 28th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 424 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program report average early career income of $25,974.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from California State University - Long Beach

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$39,354 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #95 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.

There were approximately 49 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts program at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo make $14,350 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

10
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$30,901 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of San Francisco, Academy of Art University is a private for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 37th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 84 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Academy of Art University in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the fine & studio arts program at Academy of Art University make $5,897 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from Academy of Art University

Best Fine & Studio Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 402
Oregon 266 419
Nevada 192 141
Hawaii 164 116
Alaska 119 35

View All Rankings >

Fine & Studio Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.

Fine Arts Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Art Studies 4,220
Fine Arts 1,484
Art History 440
Jewelry Arts 125
Other Fine Arts & Art Studies 114
Intermedia/Multimedia 66
Drawing 23
Painting 18
Sculpture 15
Ceramic Arts & Ceramics 10

View All Fine Arts Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Design & Applied Arts 4,575
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 4,258
Music 3,612
Drama & Theater Arts 3,040
General Visual & Performing Arts 1,198
Dance 538
Arts & Media Management 315
Other Visual Art 83

View All Fine Arts Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options