2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in California (With Aid)
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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More Ways to Rank Design & Applied Arts Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Design & Applied Arts in California (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Design & Applied 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 design students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full California State University - Long Beach Design & Applied Arts Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, Fresno State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Fresno
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
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 with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Los Angeles
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 Getting Aid. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 235 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of California - Davis
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 153 degrees to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
San Jose State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
California State University - Sacramento ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, Sac State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #7, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 150 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend San Francisco State University.
Full San Francisco State University Design & Applied Arts Report
With a ranking of #8, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
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 full report on Design & Applied Arts at Cal Poly Pomona
University of California - San Diego ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 24 bachelors’s design degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
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 - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Monterey Bay is a public institution located in Seaside, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The low 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%.
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Cogswell College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Cogswell College is $29,566 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
University of Redlands ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of Redlands is located in Redlands, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Redlands, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $27,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
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%.
Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, Azusa Pacific has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $26,293 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.
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 low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at Azusa Pacific University
University of Southern California landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 33 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $29,528 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Read more about Design & Applied Arts at University of Southern California
With a ranking of #17, Woodbury University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Burbank, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s design degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Woodbury, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Woodbury University is $23,915 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
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%. 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 Woodbury University
University of the Pacific came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Stockton, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, Pacific has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $28,929 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid per year to attend University of the Pacific.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of the Pacific
Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. 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.
The yearly cost to attend Point Loma Nazarene University is $33,044 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Point Loma Nazarene University
Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Laguna Beach, California, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree design students with aid list, LCAD has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend LCAD is $35,355 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design
Academy of Art University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school handed out 123 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s design students in 2019-2020.
Academy of Art University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $34,145 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid per year to attend Academy of Art University.
Biola University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in La Mirada, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s design degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $31,859 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
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%.
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 Getting Aid 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 also took the #4 spot in our “Best Design & Applied Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Art Center College of Design is $47,080 for California Bachelor’s Degree Design students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national 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 came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. DUofC is located in San Rafael, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s design degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Dominican University of California is $32,978 for california bachelor’s degree design students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.
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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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