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Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in California

35 Colleges
$32,741 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master'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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 35 schools in California to see which master'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 Master’s Degree Schools in California

Check out the visual and performing arts master's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master's Degree Schools

Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a master’s degree in California. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - Berkeley

#2

National University

La Jolla, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend National University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at National University Report

#3

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Mount Saint Mary’s University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Azusa Pacific University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at Azusa Pacific University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at San Jose State University Report

University of California - San Diego landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree visual and performing arts programs. UCSD is a very large public school located in the large city of La Jolla.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at University of California - San Diego Report

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Davis did quite well on this year’s best schools for visual and performing arts students working on their master’s degree. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a very large student population.

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#8

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA

Loyola Marymount University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

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University of California - Irvine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a fairly large student population.

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University of Southern California came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Visual & Performing Arts Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at University of Southern California

Best 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

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

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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