2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree School for You
Visual & Performing Arts is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 22,397 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 51 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for visual and performing arts majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Top 10 Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo the best school in California for visual and performing arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a very large student population.
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Out of the 51 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Berkeley Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
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Out of the 51 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola Marymount University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at Loyola Marymount University Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
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San Jose State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a very large student population.
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University of California - Irvine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.
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Chapman University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Orange.
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With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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University of California - Davis did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for visual and performing arts students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a very large student population.
Request InformationBest Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 1,718 |
| Oregon | 1,672 |
| Hawaii | 196 |
| Nevada | 554 |
| Alaska | 60 |
More Visual & Performing Arts Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Visual & Performing Arts
Visual & Performing Arts Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 36,301 |
| Music | 25,910 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 17,341 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,778 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 6,355 |
| Arts & Media Management | 4,788 |
| Dance | 3,288 |
| Other Visual Art | 912 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 119 |
| Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art | 10 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 556,813 |
| English Language & Literature | 54,635 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 33,333 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 27,459 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 19,993 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Bonnielou2013.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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