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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

73 Ranked Colleges
13,375 Degrees Awarded
$7,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

With 155,377 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, visual and performing arts is the 10th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,427 and had an average of $28,377 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 25,365 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,067 and $32,687 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,375 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 73 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in visual and performing arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual and performing arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

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

More Ways to Rank Visual & Performing Arts Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Stanford

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 191 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Full Cal State LA Visual & Performing Arts Report

#19 in overall quality

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 584 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Cal State Fullerton

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 373 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine Visual & Performing Arts Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 275 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Berkeley

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 384 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at UCLA

California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 191 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Fresno State Visual & Performing Arts Report

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 909 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - Long Beach Visual & Performing Arts Report

#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 83 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 474 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full CSUN Visual & Performing Arts Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#22 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 272 students in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 91%.

Full UCR Visual & Performing Arts Report

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 425 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Visual & Performing Arts at UC Davis

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 101 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,455 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#14

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 321 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Full SDSU Visual & Performing Arts Report

#15

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 369 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Santa Barbara

#15 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 259 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #15 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD Visual & Performing Arts Report

#17

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 169 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full CSUSB Visual & Performing Arts Report

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Stan State Visual & Performing Arts Report

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 261 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Visual & Performing Arts Report

#20

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#12 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 507 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full San Jose State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

With a ranking of #21, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 104 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSM.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Visual & Performing Arts Report

California State University - East Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 111 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - East Bay

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 175 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Visual & Performing Arts Report

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 567 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at SFSU

#25

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 492 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UC Santa Cruz

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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

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.

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