2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Design & Applied Arts is the 34th most popular major in the country with 36,854 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, design and applied arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,542 and had an average of $27,114 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 4,692 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,196 and $27,472 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,305 design and applied arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in design and applied arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent design and applied arts programs, but they also 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 design and applied arts program at the school. 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 “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 130 students in 2019-2020.
CSULB also took the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Full California State University - Fresno Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 235 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis also took the #3 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Sacramento. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 153 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $11,752 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, 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 86%.
University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 University of California - San Diego Design & Applied Arts Report
San Francisco State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 150 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
University of Southern California landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $16,252 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 91%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full University of Southern California Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #10, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 89 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Monterey Bay is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $9,567 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full California State University - Chico Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Redlands came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Redlands has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $22,240 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Redlands
California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 156 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
California College of the Arts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $32,503 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California College of the Arts.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full California College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report
University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. University of the Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of the Pacific is $23,385 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Woodbury University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Woodbury is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Burbank, California. It awarded 26 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k list, Woodbury has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Woodbury is $21,184 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Azusa Pacific University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Azusa, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Azusa Pacific, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Azusa Pacific University is $23,272 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Design & Applied Arts at Azusa Pacific University
Biola University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. La Mirada, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Biola University is $25,855 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Biola University
Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for PLNU is $24,654 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Point Loma Nazarene University
Chapman University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Chapman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chapman is $31,826 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 85%.
Cogswell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Cogswell College is a small private for-profit school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cogswell is $26,983 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #23, Art Center College of Design did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 223 students in 2019-2020.
Art Center College of Design did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $42,394 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Art Center College of Design.
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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design
Dominican University of California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in San Rafael, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $26,338 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dominican University of California.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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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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