2023 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Design & Applied Arts Master's 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 10 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value master's 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.
Featured Design Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
Top 10 Best Design & Applied Arts Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named California State University - Long Beach the best value school in California for design and applied arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at CSULB are $8,280 a year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at California State University - Long Beach
Request Information
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means San Francisco State University is a great value for design and applied arts students working on their master’s degree. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Francisco.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at SFSU are $8,738 per year.
Request Information
Out of the 10 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at UCLA are $13,036 per year.
UCLA also made our Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list, coming in at #4.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Academy of Art University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Academy of Art University is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Academy of Art University are $28,496 a year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Academy of Art University
Request Information
The excellent master’s degree programs at Otis College of Art and Design helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value design and applied arts schools in California. Otis College of Art and Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Otis College of Art and Design are $50,950 per year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Otis College of Art and Design
Request Information
California College of the Arts did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. California College of the Arts is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at California College of the Arts are $55,090 per year.
Full Design & Applied Arts at California College of the Arts Report
Request Information
Laguna College of Art and Design did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for design and applied arts students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. LCAD is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Laguna Beach.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at LCAD are $38,850 per year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Laguna College of Art and Design
Request Information
University of Southern California landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree design and applied arts programs. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
USC graduate students pay an average of $61,396 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
USC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at University of Southern California
Request Information
Art Center College of Design came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena.
In-state tuition fees for graduate students at Art Center College of Design are $50,734 per year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at Art Center College of Design
Request Information
New York Film Academy came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Burbank, New York Film Academy is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
New York Film Academy graduate students pay an average of $34,075 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Design & Applied Arts at New York Film Academy
Request InformationBest Value Design & Applied Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 532 |
| Oregon | 490 |
| Nevada | 110 |
| Hawaii | 19 |
More Design & Applied Arts Rankings in California
Other Related Design Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
Take the first step toward a career of visual expression and doing what you love with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Learn to create a striking portfolio and hone the skills you need to succeed in the world of professional photography with this online digital photography degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
Majors Related to Design
Design & Applied Arts is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Design
| 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 10 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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.