14
Ranked Colleges
1,198
Degrees Awarded
$21,000
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Visual & Performing Arts is the 116th most popular major in the country with 6,355 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $25,134 and had an average of $26,019 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 1,198 general visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,951 and $24,479 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general visual and performing arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general visual and performing arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general visual and performing arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Visual Arts Schools 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k.
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 99 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UCSD General Visual & Performing Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 13 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $2,701 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - Los Angeles
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s visual arts students in 2020-2021.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,345 for california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full USC General Visual & Performing Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Channel Islands. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUCI is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 20 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUCI has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,125 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Channel Islands.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUCI General Visual & Performing Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - San Marcos. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUSM has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $10,348 for california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUSM General Visual & Performing Arts Report
With a ranking of #6, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s visual arts students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $13,378 for california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 more about General Visual & Performing Arts at San Jose State University
With a ranking of #7, San Diego Mesa College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego Mesa College is a fairly large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 2 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.
San Diego Mesa College also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Mesa College is $5,543 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at San Diego Mesa College
Azusa Pacific University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Azusa, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 48 diplomas to qualified ’s visual arts students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Azusa Pacific has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Azusa Pacific University is $27,031 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Azusa Pacific University
University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s visual arts students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, USFCA has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USFCA is $31,994 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full USFCA General Visual & Performing Arts Report
Academy of Art University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s visual arts degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.
Academy of Art University also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $32,975 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 General Visual & Performing Arts at Academy of Art University
Otis College of Art and Design came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Otis College of Art and Design is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.
Otis College of Art and Design also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Otis College of Art and Design is $40,153 for california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Otis College of Art and Design
Columbia College Hollywood came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia College Hollywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tarzana, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia College Hollywood also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Hollywood is $32,692 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Columbia College Hollywood
Gnomon came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gnomon is a small school located in Hollywood, California that handed out 31 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Gnomon also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #11.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Gnomon
San Francisco Art Institute came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco Art Institute is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 2 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFAI has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco Art Institute is $34,969 for california visual arts students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at SFAI
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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
- *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
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