2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 36,854 people earned their degree in design and applied arts, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States. 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 Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 34 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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The design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.
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Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts (Income Over $110k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 130 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design 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 $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #2 spot on the list. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 52 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Fresno State also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 153 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 89 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.
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 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 Design & Applied Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Sacramento. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.
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 Design & Applied Arts Report
San Francisco State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 150 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SFSU.
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 235 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #9. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 124 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.
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
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.
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 - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UCSD.
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 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
Cogswell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in San Jose, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cogswell is $29,566 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #13 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #15 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Design & Applied Arts Report
University of Redlands came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Redlands did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $27,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.
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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Redlands
Azusa Pacific University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Azusa Pacific is located in Azusa, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
Azusa Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Azusa Pacific is $26,293 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.
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. 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%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Azusa Pacific University
With a ranking of #16, Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Laguna Beach, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k list, LCAD has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $35,355 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend LCAD.
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%.
With a ranking of #17, Woodbury University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. 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 more than $110k list, Woodbury has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Woodbury is $23,915 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of the Pacific ranked #18 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Stockton, 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 5 students in 2019-2020.
Pacific also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $28,929 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of the Pacific
Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $33,044 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend PLNU.
The 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 Design & Applied Arts at Point Loma Nazarene University
Biola University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k 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.
It costs about $31,859 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Biola University.
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%.
California College of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 156 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
California College of the Arts also took the #9 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $33,876 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California College of the Arts.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.
Full California College of the Arts Design & Applied Arts Report
Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 123 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Academy of Art University also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $34,145 for california bachelor’s degree design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Academy of Art University.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University
University of Southern California ranked #23 on this year’s Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
USC also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend USC.
With a 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
With a ranking of #24, Dominican University of California did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k list. 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.
The yearly cost to attend DUofC is $32,978 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.
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 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Dominican University of California
Chapman University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Orange, California. 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 estimated yearly cost for Chapman is $41,350 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students whose families make more than $110k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Chapman University
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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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