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2024 Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

10 Colleges in California
476 Bachelor's Degrees
$26,349 Avg Early-Career Salary
a bachelor's degree in general visual & performing arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #94 out of 363 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 476 bachelor's degrees in general visual & performing arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great General Visual & Performing Arts School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California The visual arts bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality visual arts program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for general visual & performing arts students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Visual Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The visual 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 the Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California.

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 Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study General Visual & Performing Arts in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in general visual & performing arts.

10 Top California Schools for a Bachelor's in Visual Arts

1

University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in general visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the visual arts program report average early career income of $18,394.

More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from University of Southern California

2
84 Annual Graduates
$22,195 Median Starting Salary
$15,000 Median Student Debt

University of California - San Diego is a great option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in general visual & performing arts. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the visual arts program report average early career wages of $22,195.

More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from University of California - San Diego

3
52 Annual Graduates
$36,531 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat Otis College of Art and Design if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in general visual & performing arts. Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Those general visual & performing arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Otis College of Art and Design earn $10,182 more than the typical visual arts graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from Otis College of Art and Design

4
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
14 Annual Graduates
$25,000 Median Student Debt

University of San Francisco is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in general visual & performing arts. Located in the city of San Francisco, USFCA is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from University of San Francisco

5
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
40 Annual Graduates
$29,153 Median Starting Salary
$31,000 Median Student Debt

Academy of Art University is a moderately-sized private for-profit university located in the city of San Francisco.

Those general visual & performing arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Academy of Art University receive $2,804 more than the average visual arts grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from Academy of Art University

6
59 Annual Graduates
$25,472 Median Starting Salary
$18,750 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of San Marcos, CSUSM is a public university with a large student population.

After graduating, visual arts bachelor's recipients usually make around $25,472 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from California State University - San Marcos

7
48 Annual Graduates
$23,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from Azusa Pacific University

8
20 Annual Graduates

CSUCI is a moderately-sized public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Camarillo.More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from California State University - Channel Islands

9
15 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Tarzana, Columbia College Hollywood is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from Columbia College Hollywood

10
Gnomon crest
Gnomon
Hollywood, CA
31 Annual Graduates

Gnomon is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Hollywood.More information about a bachelor’s in general visual & performing arts from Gnomon

Best General Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best General Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 226 13
Oregon 185 62

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Visual & Performing Arts area of study, General Visual & Performing Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.

Visual Arts Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Visual & Performing Arts 297
Digital Arts 179

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 3,908
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 2,667
Design & Applied Arts 2,446
Music 1,679
Drama & Theater Arts 1,601
Dance 314
Arts & Media Management 223
Other Visual Art 54

Notes and References

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