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2023 Best Value Colleges for Fine Arts (Income $30-$48k) in California

28 Ranked Colleges
1,484 Degrees Awarded
$16,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 11,922 people earned their degree in fine arts, making the major the 66th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,484 fine arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree in fine arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great fine arts programs and 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 fine arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 66 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of California - Berkeley

2

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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 323 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Fine Arts Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools 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 ’s fine arts degrees to 204 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSULB has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,573 for california 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 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at California State University - Long Beach

4

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 46 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #5 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $11,598 for California Fine Arts 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at UC Davis

5

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #5 spot on the list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $11,606 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Fine Arts Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSD has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,176 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at University of California - San Diego

7
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 147 students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $13,378 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full San Jose State Fine Arts Report

8

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 89 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,025 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - East Bay Fine Arts Report

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 5 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,903 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Stan State

10
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #10, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #1 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $17,345 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USC Fine Arts Report

11

California State University - Northridge ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUN has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,103 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Fine Arts Report

12

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 5 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $6,613 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, 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 more about Fine Arts at CSUSB

13

California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 5 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also made our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,055 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at California State University - Sacramento

14

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $13,194 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Fine Arts Report

15
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $9,274 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Fine Arts Report

16

California State University - Chico ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 31 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $13,040 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at California State University - Chico

17

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 5 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #17 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $12,049 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at UC Santa Cruz

18
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

SSU also made our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $13,983 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Sonoma State University

19
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

University of Redlands did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

University of Redlands also took the #21 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,360 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Redlands.

The low undergrad 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 Fine Arts at University of Redlands

20
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

Biola University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Biola is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Mirada, California. It awarded 20 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Biola has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Biola University is $26,419 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Biola

21
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #21, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 12 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $31,994 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at USFCA

22
California College of the Arts crest
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California

California College of the Arts ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s fine arts students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, California College of the Arts has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California College of the Arts is $24,239 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 undergraduate 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 full report on Fine Arts at California College of the Arts

23
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Loyola Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $31,985 for california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola Marymount University.

With a undergrad 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount

24
Art Center College of Design crest
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California

Art Center College of Design did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 38 ’s fine arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Art Center College of Design not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Art Center College of Design is $43,406 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Fine Arts at Art Center College of Design

25
CalArts crest
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

California Institute of the Arts came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Fine Arts Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Valencia, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s fine arts degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california fine arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, CalArts has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Fine Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CalArts is $51,512 for California Fine Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Fine Arts at California Institute of the Arts

Notes and References

References

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