2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts 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.
The Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 55 schools in California to see which programs offered the best value experiences for visual and performing arts students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools
Our analysis found Los Angeles Trade Technical College to be the best value school for visual and performing arts students who want to pursue a degree in California. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a moderately-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.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego Mesa College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Diego, San Diego Mesa College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Diego Mesa College are $1,144 a year.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at San Diego Mesa College Report
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Out of the 55 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a very large student population.
San Jose State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,852 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
San Jose State also claimed a spot on our Best Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means California State University - East Bay is a great value for visual and performing arts students. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Hayward.
Cal State East Bay undergraduate students pay an average of $6,995 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Cal State East Bay carry an average student debtload of $18,111.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - East Bay Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California list. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a very large student population.
CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, visual and performing arts graduates from CSULB take out $18,481 in student loans while working on their degree.
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California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value visual and performing arts programs. Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal State Fullerton are $6,976 per year. After completing their degree, visual and performing arts graduates from Cal State Fullerton carry an average student debtload of $20,671.
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With a ranking of #7, Sonoma State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for visual and performing arts students. Located in the suburb of Rohnert Park, SSU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
SSU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,988 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Visual & Performing Arts majors at SSU take out an average of $17,514 in student loans while working on their egree.
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San Francisco State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California list. SFSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Francisco.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SFSU are $7,304 a year. Visual & Performing Arts majors at SFSU take out an average of $17,462 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $312, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Visual & Performing Arts at San Francisco State University Report
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California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Pomona.
Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students pay an average of $7,439 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, visual and performing arts majors at Cal Poly Pomona accumulate an average of around $18,873 in student debt.
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California State University - Northridge came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Schools in California ranking. CSUN is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Northridge.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUN are $7,043 a year. The average amount in student loans that visual and performing arts majors at CSUN take out is $16,816.
Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at California State University - Northridge
Request InformationBest Value Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Colleges 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
Visual & Performing Arts Related Majors for 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.
- 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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