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2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts in California

55 Ranked Colleges
2,317 Degrees Awarded
$32,639 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Visual & Performing Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 10th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 149,215 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,317 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 55 colleges that offer a degree in visual and performing arts. To top this list, a school must have a successful visual and performing arts program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s”.

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 317 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at USC

2
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s. San Francisco, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to 270 students in 2020-2021.

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 Visual & Performing Arts at Academy of Art University

3
New York Film Academy crest
New York Film Academy
Burbank, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York Film Academy. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s. Located in Burbank, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 200 diplomas to qualified masters’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at New York Film Academy

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 173 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at UCLA

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of the Arts. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s. CalArts is located in Valencia, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 120 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at CalArts

6
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. It awarded 97 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Chapman Visual & Performing Arts Report

7

California State University - Northridge ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 87 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Visual & Performing Arts Report

8

With a ranking of #8, American Film Institute Conservatory did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at American Film Institute Conservatory

9
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. Azusa, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to 67 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Full Azusa Pacific Visual & Performing Arts Report

10
SFCM crest
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Conservatory of Music did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. SFCM is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 66 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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 full report on Visual & Performing Arts at San Francisco Conservatory of Music

11

California State University - Long Beach ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 61 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at CSULB

12
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 60 diplomas to qualified masters’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at California College of the Arts

13
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

Art Center College of Design ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. Art Center College of Design is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Art Center College of Design Visual & Performing Arts Report

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Visual & Performing Arts Report

15
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Loyola Marymount Visual & Performing Arts Report

16

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - Los Angeles

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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

18
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 34 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at SDSU

18

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 34 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UCSD

20
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s visual and performing arts degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

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

21
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 30 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at San Jose State

22
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Claremont Graduate University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified masters’s visual and performing arts students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Claremont Graduate University Visual & Performing Arts Report

23
National University crest
National University
La Jolla, California

National University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking. National University is a fairly large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 27 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at National University

23

With a ranking of #23, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 27 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Visual & Performing Arts Report

25
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California

Otis College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Visual & Performing Arts Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #25. Otis College of Art and Design is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 26 masters’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Otis College of Art and Design Visual & Performing Arts Report

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