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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California

27 Ranked Colleges
1,240 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 12,032 people earned their degree in fine arts, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,478 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,240 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in fine arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality fine arts programs that also have a lower cost than 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 fine arts program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Fine Arts Schools

The fine arts 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 Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford University.

The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Fine Arts at Stanford University

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 289 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #10 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton Fine Arts Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at UC Berkeley

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 190 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Fine Arts Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Fine Arts Report

#6

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

UCSB also took the #7 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

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 freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCSB Fine Arts Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.

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%.

Full UC Davis Fine Arts Report

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stan State Fine Arts Report

#9

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 159 students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts 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%. 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 more about Fine Arts at San Jose State

#10

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts 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 6 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. 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 Fine Arts at University of Southern California

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Full California State University - East Bay Fine Arts Report

#14 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 25 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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

Full UCSD Fine Arts Report

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Chico State

#14

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#19 in overall quality

Sonoma State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sonoma State University is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SSU also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $13,248 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Fine Arts at Sonoma State University

#15

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#18 in overall quality

University of Redlands ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $22,240 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Redlands.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Fine Arts at University of Redlands

#16

Mills College

Oakland, California
#21 in overall quality

Mills College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mills College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oakland, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Mills also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $19,300 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mills College.

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. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 full report on Fine Arts at Mills

#17

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, California College of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s fine arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at California College of the Arts, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California College of the Arts is $32,503 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Fine Arts at California College of the Arts

#18

University of the Pacific

Stockton, California
#23 in overall quality

University of the Pacific landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Pacific has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $23,385 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Pacific.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Pacific Fine Arts Report

#19

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. PUC is a small school located in Angwin, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Pacific Union College is $16,984 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Fine Arts at Pacific Union College

#20

Biola University

La Mirada, California
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Biola University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Biola University is located in La Mirada, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s fine arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Biola, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $25,855 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Biola University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Biola University

#21

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Marymount also took the #5 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $35,166 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola Marymount.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount University

#22

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#17 in overall quality

University of San Francisco ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s fine arts degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of San Francisco is $29,186 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of San Francisco Fine Arts Report

#23

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California
#24 in overall quality

Dominican University of California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Dominican University of California is a small school located in San Rafael, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

DUofC also made our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for DUofC is $26,338 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 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.

Full Dominican University of California Fine Arts Report

#24

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, California Institute of the Arts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CalArts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valencia, California. It awarded 22 bachelors’s fine arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CalArts, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of the Arts is $42,784 for California Bachelor’s Degree Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Read more about Fine Arts at California Institute of the Arts

#25

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California
#15 in overall quality

Art Center College of Design did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Fine Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Art Center College of Design is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Art Center College of Design also took the #15 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $42,394 for california bachelor’s degree fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Art Center College of Design.

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. 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%.

Full Art Center College of Design Fine Arts Report

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jorge Royan.

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