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Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

9 Colleges
$21,110 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$23,224 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree School for You

With 3,773 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, design and applied arts is the #34 most popular major in California.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 9 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for design students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for design majors pursuing a associate degree.

Best California Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Design & Applied Arts

Our analysis found Los Angeles Trade Technical College to be the best value school for design and applied arts students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Los Angeles.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Los Angeles Trade Technical College are $1,238 per year.

Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College

#2

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego Mesa College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Diego, San Diego Mesa College is a public college with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Diego Mesa College are $1,144 per year.

Full Design & Applied Arts at San Diego Mesa College Report

#3

Platt College - San Diego

San Diego, CA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Platt College - San Diego is a great value for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of San Diego, Platt College - San Diego is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Platt College - San Diego are $16,378 per year. Design majors at Platt College - San Diego take out an average of $18,038 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $112.

Read More…

#4

Interior Designers Institute

Newport Beach, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Interior Designers Institute. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of Newport Beach, Interior Designers Institute is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Interior Designers Institute are $20,250 per year. Design majors at Interior Designers Institute take out an average of $22,905 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College Hollywood. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Associate Degree Schools in California list. Columbia College Hollywood is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Tarzana.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Columbia College Hollywood are $26,175 a year.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Columbia College Hollywood Report

With a ranking of #7, FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. FIDM Los Angeles is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at FIDM Los Angeles are $32,645 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, design graduates from FIDM Los Angeles carry an average student debtload of $16,621. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $491.

Full Design & Applied Arts at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles Report

#8

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA

With a ranking of #8, Academy of Art University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Academy of Art University is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Academy of Art University are $25,424 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, design majors at Academy of Art University accumulate an average of around $32,177 in student debt.

Full Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University Report

#9

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA

With a ranking of #9, New York Film Academy did quite well on this year’s best value schools for design and applied arts students working on their associate degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Burbank, New York Film Academy is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at New York Film Academy are $34,090 per year.

Read More…

Best Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 532
Oregon 490
Nevada 110
Hawaii 19

Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fine & Studio Arts 37,413
Music 25,910
Drama & Theater Arts 17,341
Film, Video & Photographic Arts 16,778
General Visual & Performing Arts 6,355

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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