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2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

54 Ranked Colleges
24,145 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 149,215 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, visual and performing arts is the 10th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $26,700 and had an average of $25,051 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 24,145 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,013 and $24,403 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 54 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in visual and performing arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great visual and performing arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the visual and performing arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $30-$48k) 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 285 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,999 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UC Berkeley

2

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 581 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

3

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 284 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,701 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Visual & Performing Arts at Cal State LA

4

Out of the 54 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 653 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,821 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Fullerton Visual & Performing Arts Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 515 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $8,449 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UC Irvine

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,012 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,573 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full CSULB Visual & Performing Arts Report

7

University of California - San Diego came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 269 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD also took the #11 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $11,176 for california visual & performing 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 low undergrad 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 UCSD

8

University of California - Riverside came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 311 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $8,193 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Visual & Performing Arts Report

9

University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 454 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,598 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Visual & Performing Arts at UC Davis

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 163 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $4,655 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Fresno State

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 140 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,613 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - San Bernardino

12

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 398 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,606 for california visual & performing 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UCSB

13

California State University - Northridge came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 558 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%.

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

14
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #14, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,000 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,345 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USC Visual & Performing Arts Report

15
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 495 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $13,378 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full San Jose State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

16
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 373 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $9,274 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at San Diego State University

17

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 61 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,903 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Stan State

18

California State University - East Bay landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 154 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,025 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at Cal State East Bay

19

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 272 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 California State University - Sacramento

20

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 508 ’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $12,049 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UC Santa Cruz

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 109 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,329 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

22

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 192 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $12,992 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

23
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #23, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 646 ’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,862 for California Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 San Francisco State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

24

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for california visual & performing 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 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

25
San Diego Mesa College crest
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

San Diego Mesa College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual and performing arts degrees to 87 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend San Diego Mesa College is $5,543 for california visual & performing arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at San Diego Mesa College

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