2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in California
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Visual & Performing Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 155,377 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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” ranking analyzed 73 colleges that offered a degree 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in California” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in California
Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #1 spot on the list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #2 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 909 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students list, CSULB has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - Long Beach
Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 474 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend CSUN.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 73 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #4 spot on the list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 507 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at San Jose State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 584 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Cal State Fullerton
California State University - Fresno came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 191 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - Fresno
California State University - San Marcos landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 104 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Full California State University - San Marcos Visual & Performing Arts Report
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 384 students in 2019-2020.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - East Bay came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal State 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 California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
Full California State University - East Bay Visual & Performing Arts Report
With a ranking of #10, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 567 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
Full San Francisco State University Visual & Performing Arts Report
California State University - Channel Islands came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Camarillo, California, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend CSUCI.
The low 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%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 175 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
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%.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Chico landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Chico, 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 228 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Chico State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 191 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
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%.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - Los Angeles
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #15. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students per year to attend Sonoma State University.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Sonoma State University
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 169 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 369 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Visual & Performing Arts Report
University of California - Irvine landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 373 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of California - Irvine Visual & Performing Arts Report
California State University - Sacramento came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 261 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 California State University - Sacramento Visual & Performing Arts Report
University of California - Davis landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 425 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend University of California - Davis.
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%.
With a ranking of #21, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 321 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #22. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 259 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students list, UCSD has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of California - San Diego Visual & Performing Arts Report
University of California - Berkeley ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 275 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Berkeley
California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #24. CSUMB is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 94 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Riverside landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 272 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Bonnielou2013.
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