Ranking
Best Design and Applied Arts Colleges in California 2026
96 California colleges offering Design and Applied Arts, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $32
- Top earnings 10y
- $62,951
- Public / Private
- 25 / 0
Canada College
A+- ROI score
- 3913.05
- Net price
- $32
- Earnings 10y
- $50,087
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Irvine Valley College
A+- ROI score
- 58.80
- Net price
- $2,090
- Earnings 10y
- $49,156
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Santiago Canyon College
A+- ROI score
- 52.79
- Net price
- $2,129
- Earnings 10y
- $44,956
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
San Joaquin Delta College
A+- ROI score
- 44.88
- Net price
- $2,407
- Earnings 10y
- $43,212
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Yuba College
A+- ROI score
- 38.39
- Net price
- $2,576
- Earnings 10y
- $39,552
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Santa Monica College
A+- ROI score
- 37.96
- Net price
- $2,779
- Earnings 10y
- $42,193
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
West Valley College
A+- ROI score
- 37.75
- Net price
- $3,423
- Earnings 10y
- $51,688
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Shasta College
A+- ROI score
- 34.11
- Net price
- $2,878
- Earnings 10y
- $39,269
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
College of the Canyons
A+- ROI score
- 33.11
- Net price
- $3,702
- Earnings 10y
- $49,022
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-San Bernardino
A+- ROI score
- 32.85
- Net price
- $4,564
- Earnings 10y
- $59,977
- Acceptance
- 93.7%
Saddleback College
A+- ROI score
- 30.63
- Net price
- $4,152
- Earnings 10y
- $50,874
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Pasadena City College
A+- ROI score
- 28.43
- Net price
- $3,864
- Earnings 10y
- $43,937
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Mission College
A+- ROI score
- 25.07
- Net price
- $5,080
- Earnings 10y
- $50,936
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Norco College
A+- ROI score
- 24.77
- Net price
- $5,169
- Earnings 10y
- $51,206
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Fullerton
A+- ROI score
- 24.01
- Net price
- $6,555
- Earnings 10y
- $62,951
- Acceptance
- 90.5%
Las Positas College
A+- ROI score
- 23.75
- Net price
- $5,377
- Earnings 10y
- $51,088
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Golden West College
A+- ROI score
- 22.36
- Net price
- $4,824
- Earnings 10y
- $43,145
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Fresno
A+- ROI score
- 21.87
- Net price
- $7,000
- Earnings 10y
- $61,244
- Acceptance
- 95.3%
De Anza College
A+- ROI score
- 21.30
- Net price
- $6,642
- Earnings 10y
- $56,596
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Northridge
A+- ROI score
- 21.05
- Net price
- $7,021
- Earnings 10y
- $59,115
- Acceptance
- 93.5%
San Diego Mesa College
A+- ROI score
- 19.40
- Net price
- $5,814
- Earnings 10y
- $45,120
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Chaffey College
A+- ROI score
- 18.94
- Net price
- $5,672
- Earnings 10y
- $42,975
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Butte College
A+- ROI score
- 18.94
- Net price
- $5,520
- Earnings 10y
- $41,810
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Mt San Antonio College
A+- ROI score
- 17.83
- Net price
- $6,490
- Earnings 10y
- $46,283
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Fullerton College
A+- ROI score
- 17.67
- Net price
- $6,134
- Earnings 10y
- $43,366
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools with positive Design and Applied Arts program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 184.79 (25 public, 0 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Canada College in Redwood City, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many California colleges are in this list?
96 California colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.