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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

72 Ranked Colleges
13,375 Degrees Awarded
$24,663 Avg Salary
Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 155,377 visual and performing arts students received their degree, making the major the 10th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, visual and performing arts graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $25,427 and had an average of $28,377 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 25,365 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,067 and $32,687 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,375 visual and performing arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 72 colleges that offer a degree in visual and performing arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality visual and performing arts programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the 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 Visual & Performing Arts Schools

The visual & performing 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 & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Visual & Performing Arts (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Stanford Visual & Performing Arts Report

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 & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 191 degrees to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Visual & Performing Arts Report

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 72 schools in the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 384 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Los Angeles

#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 584 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #19 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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

Full California State University - Fullerton Visual & Performing Arts Report

#5 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 #5 for the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 275 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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

Full University of California - Berkeley Visual & Performing Arts Report

#2 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 83 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 909 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSULB has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

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 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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at CSULB

California State University - Fresno came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 191 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Fresno State

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 474 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUN has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 California State University - Northridge Visual & Performing Arts Report

#13 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 373 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #13 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national 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 UC Irvine Visual & Performing Arts Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 272 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,290 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Riverside Visual & Performing Arts Report

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 425 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $13,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Visual & Performing Arts Report

#13

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 369 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at UCSB

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $6,907 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Visual & Performing Arts at CSUDH

#15 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 259 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #15 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 California - San Diego Visual & Performing Arts Report

#16

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 169 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full CSUSB Visual & Performing Arts Report

California State University - Sacramento came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 261 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s visual and performing arts students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,413 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Visual & Performing Arts Report

#18

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#12 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 507 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full San Jose State University Visual & Performing Arts Report

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Visual & Performing Arts Report

#20

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

Occidental College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Occidental College is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 61 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy also took the #7 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Occidental College is $19,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 more about Visual & Performing Arts at Occidental College

With a ranking of #21, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 104 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $14,582 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#22

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #22, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 321 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full SDSU Visual & Performing Arts Report

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 639 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Southern California Visual & Performing Arts Report

#24

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees to 492 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree Visual & Performing Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. 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 UC Santa Cruz Visual & Performing Arts Report

#25

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 567 bachelors’s visual and performing arts degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree visual & performing arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Full SFSU Visual & Performing Arts Report

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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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