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Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California

2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

6 Colleges
$21,255 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$23,100 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Visual & Performing Arts Undergraduate Certificate 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 Value Visual & Performing Arts Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 6 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value undergraduate certificate programs for visual and performing arts students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

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.

Best California Schools for Affordable Quality for an Award Taking 1 to 4 Years in Visual & Performing Arts

Our 2023 rankings named Los Angeles Trade Technical College the best value school in California for visual and performing arts students working on their undergraduate certificate. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Los Angeles.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Los Angeles Trade Technical College are $1,238 a year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Los Angeles Trade Technical College

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#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 Visual & Performing Arts Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Diego, San Diego Mesa College is a public school with a fairly large student population.

San Diego Mesa College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,144 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at San Diego Mesa College

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#3

Gnomon

Hollywood, CA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Gnomon is a great value for visual and performing arts students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the city of Hollywood, Gnomon is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Gnomon are $28,155 a year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at Gnomon

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#4

New York Film Academy

Burbank, CA

The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at New York Film Academy helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value visual and performing arts schools in California. Located in the city of Burbank, New York Film Academy is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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

Full Visual & Performing Arts at New York Film Academy Report

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles are $37,230 a year.

Read full report on Visual & Performing Arts at American Academy of Dramatic Arts - Los Angeles

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#6

SAE Expression College

Emeryville, CA

SAE Expression College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate visual and performing arts programs. SAE Expression College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Emeryville.

SAE Expression College undergraduate students pay an average of $25,672 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Visual & Performing Arts at SAE Expression College Report

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Best Value Visual & Performing Arts Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value 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 6 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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