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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

19 Ranked Colleges
561 Degrees Awarded
$26,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Visual & Performing Arts is the 125th most popular major in the country with 6,359 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $24,577 and had an average of $26,968 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,374 general visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,671 and $26,208 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 561 general visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general visual and performing arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general visual and performing arts programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Visual & Performing Arts Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Visual & Performing Arts in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #1 spot on the list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $14,232 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCSD General Visual & Performing Arts Report

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Marcos landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 93 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $13,399 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend CSUSM.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#3

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Oregon University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized public school situated in Ashland, Oregon. It awarded 36 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Southern Oregon University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,386 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend Southern Oregon University.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Southern Oregon University

#4

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $14,928 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.

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

Full San Jose State University General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Channel Islands. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

CSUCI also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend CSUCI is $13,558 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

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

#6

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon

With a ranking of #6, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oregon State is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 5 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Oregon State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $20,016 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend Oregon State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Oregon State University General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#7

William Jessup University

Rocklin, California
#14 in overall quality

William Jessup University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Rocklin, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

William Jessup University also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William Jessup University is $21,207 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at William Jessup University

#8

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, Washington
#9 in overall quality

Seattle Pacific University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SPU also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for SPU is $26,505 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full SPU General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#9

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California

With a ranking of #9, Azusa Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 65 bachelors’s visual arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid list, Azusa Pacific has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Azusa Pacific is $26,293 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

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%. 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.

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

#10

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s visual arts degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $29,528 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend USC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The impressive 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at USC

#11

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Diego, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PLNU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Point Loma Nazarene University is $33,044 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Point Loma Nazarene University General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#12

Seattle University

Seattle, Washington
#6 in overall quality

Seattle University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Seattle U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Seattle U also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Seattle University is $34,802 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Seattle U

#13

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California

Academy of Art University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

Academy of Art University also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Academy of Art University is $34,145 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid.

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

#14

Woodbury University

Burbank, California
#16 in overall quality

Woodbury University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Woodbury University is located in Burbank, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

Woodbury not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Woodbury University is $23,915 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

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 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 more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Woodbury

#15

Otis College of Art and Design

Los Angeles, California

Otis College of Art and Design landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 48 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Otis College of Art and Design, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $43,147 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend Otis College of Art and Design.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at Otis College of Art and Design

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Pacific Northwest College of Art did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a private not-for-profit institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Pacific Northwest College of Art also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Pacific Northwest College of Art is $33,872 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art

#17

Marymount California University

Rancho Palos Verdes, California

With a ranking of #17, Marymount California University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Marymount California University is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s visual arts degrees to qualified students.

MCU also made our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $33,303 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend Marymount California University.

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%.

Read full report on General Visual & Performing Arts at Marymount California University

#18

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $36,424 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Visual Arts students with aid per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The low 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 University of San Francisco General Visual & Performing Arts Report

#19

San Francisco Art Institute

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

San Francisco Art Institute did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Located in San Francisco, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual arts students in 2019-2020.

SFAI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $41,392 for far western us region bachelor’s degree visual arts students with aid per year to attend SFAI.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Visual & Performing Arts at SFAI

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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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