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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts (Income $75-$110k) in California

13 Ranked Colleges
1,198 Degrees Awarded
$27,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Visual & Performing Arts is the 116th most popular major in the country with 6,355 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $25,134 and had an average of $26,019 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,198 general visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,951 and $24,479 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree in general visual and performing arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general visual and performing arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general visual and performing arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The visual 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 Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k”.

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. 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.

Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 13 Best Value Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts (Income $75-$110k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 99 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $20,906 for california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 General Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - San Diego

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 13 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $10,011 for california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA General Visual & Performing Arts Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Channel Islands. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Camarillo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s visual arts degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSUCI has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $21,127 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - Channel Islands

4
San Diego Mesa College crest
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, California

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego Mesa College landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 2 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k list, San Diego Mesa College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego Mesa College is $9,707 for california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at San Diego Mesa College

5

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Marcos landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 59 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $18,439 for california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad 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 full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at CSUSM

6
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 4 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $21,035 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Jose State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at San Jose State University

7
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #7, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 49 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $32,363 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at USC

8
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Azusa, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s visual arts degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $30,578 for california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Azusa Pacific University.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Azusa Pacific University

9
Academy of Art University crest
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Academy of Art University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Academy of Art University is $40,983 for california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Academy of Art University

10
Columbia College Hollywood crest
Columbia College Hollywood
Tarzana, California

Columbia College Hollywood landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Tarzana, California, and it awarded 15 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia College Hollywood also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Hollywood is $33,831 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Columbia College Hollywood

11
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #11, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of San Francisco is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 14 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. It costs about $39,638 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 University of San Francisco General Visual & Performing Arts Report

12
Otis College of Art and Design crest
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #12, Otis College of Art and Design did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 52 degrees to qualified ’s visual arts students in 2020-2021.

Otis College of Art and Design did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Otis College of Art and Design is $46,851 for California Visual Arts students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Otis College of Art and Design

13
SFAI crest
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Art Institute landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Visual Arts Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 2 ’s visual arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california visual arts students whose families make $75-$110k list, SFAI has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California” ranking.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full SFAI General Visual & Performing Arts Report

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