2025 Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California
41
Colleges in California
6,800
Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,338
Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #31 in popularity,
fine & studio arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 41 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 6,800 degrees in fine & studio arts annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Fine & Studio Arts School
Your choice of fine & studio arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Fine & Studio Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Fine & Studio Arts Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Fine & Studio Arts Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for Fine & Studio Arts in California
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the fine arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top California Schools in Fine Arts
It's difficult to beat University of Southern California if you want to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 90 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Fine & Studio Arts degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of approximately $23,823 over the typical earnings of fine & studio arts majors.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of Southern California
It is hard to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were roughly 149 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program report average early career wages of $21,220.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Los Angeles
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In CA
142
Fine Arts Degrees Awarded
University of California - Santa Barbara is a great option for students interested in a degree in fine & studio arts. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were approximately 142 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Santa Barbara
Any student who is interested in fine & studio arts needs to check out University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 101 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn about $20,368 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Berkeley
CSULB is a very large public university located in the city of Long Beach. This university ranks 36th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 435 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn around $21,493 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from California State University - Long Beach
Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were about 82 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the fine arts program make around $23,409 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Davis
UC Santa Cruz is a large public university located in the city of Santa Cruz. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.
There were roughly 109 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, fine arts degree recipients usually make an average of $21,106 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from University of California - Santa Cruz
Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 41st out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 430 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the fine arts program earn an average of $24,367 for their early career.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from California State University - Fullerton
California College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large city of San Francisco.
There were approximately 90 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at California College of the Arts in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the fine arts program report average early career wages of $20,149.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from California College of the Arts
SFSU is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Francisco. This university ranks 30th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 114.99999999999999 fine & studio arts students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, fine arts degree recipients typically earn about $24,606 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in fine & studio arts from San Francisco State University
