Best Fine and Studio Arts Programs in California (2026)
Updated
Part of Top Art & Design Colleges in California by Earnings
This page ranks the 41 Fine and Studio Arts programs in California by the median earnings of Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. University of Southern California leads the list at $72,428, followed by California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo at $59,721 and Loyola Marymount University at $58,468.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $40,783, with a spread of $48,393 from $72,428 to $24,035.
Public institutions make up 66% of the list, with 27 public and 14 private nonprofit programs. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.
California State University-Los Angeles reports the lowest average net price at $3,967.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $72,428 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California ranks 1st on this list, reporting $72,428 in median earnings of Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing alongside an admission rate of 10%. | |||||
| 2 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $59,721 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| With an average net price of $16,665, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo posts median earnings of $59,721 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $58,468 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University, a private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, shows median federal debt of $22,375 among Fine and Studio Arts completers who borrowed and median earnings of $58,468 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $51,699 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley admits 11% of applicants and its Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn a median of $51,699 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $48,506 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| Ranking 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, University of California-San Diego reports median earnings of $48,506 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Biola University · La Mirada, CA | $47,596 | $31,495 | $27,144 | 74.4% |
| Biola University reports $47,596 in median earnings of Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $31,495. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $46,428 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara posts median earnings of $46,428 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $15,459 among Fine and Studio Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $46,173 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| With an admission rate of 9%, University of California-Los Angeles ranks 8th on this list and reports median earnings of $46,173 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $46,136 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
| California State University-East Bay posts an average net price of $9,320, and its Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn a median of $46,136 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $46,022 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Sonoma State University ranks 199th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside median earnings of $46,022 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $45,548 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| California State University-Channel Islands reports median federal debt of $13,038 among Fine and Studio Arts completers who borrowed, and median earnings of $45,548 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $45,468 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| Graduates of the Fine and Studio Arts program at California State University-Chico earn a median of $45,468 four years after completing, and the school admits 93% of applicants. | |||||
| 13 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $44,365 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton reports median earnings of $44,365 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing, with 422 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | California College of the Arts · San Francisco, CA | $44,012 | $53,909 | $61,407 | 91.1% |
| A private nonprofit institution in San Francisco, California College of the Arts carries an average net price of $53,909 and a median federal debt of $27,000 among Fine and Studio Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $43,534 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
| California State University-Bakersfield admits 94% of applicants and shows a median federal debt of $16,600 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 16 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $43,349 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| Ranking 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, California State University-Long Beach reports median earnings of $43,349 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $42,904 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| With an average net price of $7,021, California State University-Northridge posts median earnings of $42,904 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $42,868 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University ranks 18th on this list and shows a median federal debt of $17,610 among Fine and Studio Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 19 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $41,969 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento reports median earnings of $41,969 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 94%. | |||||
| 20 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $41,072 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| An average net price of $6,067 coincides with median earnings of $41,072 for Fine and Studio Arts graduates at California State University-Stanislaus four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $40,783 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| California State University-Los Angeles holds the lowest average net price on the page at $3,967 and ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 22 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $40,774 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside admits 76% of applicants and reports median earnings of $40,774 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $40,453 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| Median federal debt among Fine and Studio Arts completers who borrowed sits at $13,981 for University of California-Davis, alongside an average net price of $14,741. | |||||
| 24 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $40,156 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| University of California-Santa Cruz reports median earnings of $40,156 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing, with 101 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $39,878 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| California State University-Fresno reports median earnings of $39,878 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $7,000. | |||||
| 26 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $39,010 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine admits 29% of applicants and ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 27 | Otis College of Art and Design · Los Angeles, CA | $38,997 | $51,248 | $44,731 | 81.8% |
| Otis College of Art and Design, a private nonprofit institution, shows median federal debt of $28,500 among Fine and Studio Arts completers who borrowed and an average net price of $44,731 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 28 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $35,416 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University ranks 28th on this list and posts median earnings of $35,416 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $34,812 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt has an admission rate of 98% and an average net price of $8,483 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 30 | California State University-Monterey Bay · Seaside, CA | $34,006 | $13,663 | $9,970 | 97.4% |
| With a cohort of 21 graduates in the earnings cohort, California State University-Monterey Bay reports median earnings of $34,006 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Art Center College of Design · Pasadena, CA | $33,073 | $48,661 | $39,645 | 74.5% |
| Art Center College of Design carries a school-wide median federal debt of $31,000 across all of its borrowers who completed, and its Fine and Studio Arts graduates earn a median of $33,073 four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $30,771 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco ranks 328th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $41,431. | |||||
| 33 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $30,336 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University admits 85% of applicants and reports median earnings of $30,336 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $30,319 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| California State University-San Bernardino has an average net price of $4,564 and median federal debt of $15,469 among Fine and Studio Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 35 | Azusa Pacific University · Azusa, CA | $28,960 | $22,212 | $15,781 | 88.4% |
| Azusa Pacific University reports median earnings of $28,960 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,781 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 36 | University of Redlands · Redlands, CA | $28,960 | $30,031 | $28,287 | 82.7% |
| University of Redlands ranks 651st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an admission rate of 83%. | |||||
| 37 | California Institute of the Arts · Valencia, CA | $28,617 | $46,080 | $26,686 | 32.3% |
| California Institute of the Arts reports $28,617 in median earnings for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 17. | |||||
| 38 | Laguna College of Art and Design · Laguna Beach, CA | $27,815 | $42,505 | $37,203 | 94.3% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Laguna Beach, Laguna College of Art and Design admits 94% of applicants and shows an average net price of $42,505. | |||||
| 39 | Westmont College · Santa Barbara, CA | $26,933 | $29,053 | $20,899 | 77.1% |
| Westmont College ranks 1084th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $20,899 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 40 | Occidental College · Los Angeles, CA | $25,967 | $38,263 | $20,705 | 44.2% |
| Occidental College posts a median of $25,967 for its Fine and Studio Arts graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $20,705 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 41 | University of La Verne · La Verne, CA | $24,035 | $20,161 | $20,151 | 71.2% |
| University of La Verne ranks 41st on this list and posts an admission rate of 71% alongside an average net price of $20,161. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Drawing graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished the program. For 7 of the 41 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 41 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked University of Southern California and second-ranked California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $12,707.
Related rankings
- Best Colleges in California
- Top Art & Design Colleges in California by Earnings
- Art & Design Colleges in California for Social Mobility