Ranking
Best Visual and Performing Arts, Other Colleges in California 2026
Santa Monica College leads this ROI ranking with a A+ value grade and a 37.96 ROI score. EduGradify ranks 8 colleges here by earnings against net price.
8 California colleges offering Visual and Performing Arts, Other, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 8
- Cheapest net price
- $2,779
- Top earnings 10y
- $80,735
- Public / Private
- 6 / 2
Santa Monica College
A+- ROI score
- 37.96
- Net price
- $2,779
- Earnings 10y
- $42,193
- 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%
Grossmont College
A+- ROI score
- 18.97
- Net price
- $5,311
- Earnings 10y
- $40,309
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
El Camino Community College District
A+- ROI score
- 17.42
- Net price
- $5,968
- Earnings 10y
- $41,589
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
University of California-Irvine
A- ROI score
- 14.16
- Net price
- $14,251
- Earnings 10y
- $80,735
- Acceptance
- 28.6%
University of California-Santa Cruz
B- ROI score
- 9.56
- Net price
- $17,890
- Earnings 10y
- $68,396
- Acceptance
- 65.8%
Pitzer College
D- ROI score
- 5.08
- Net price
- $34,191
- Earnings 10y
- $69,512
- Acceptance
- 25.2%
California Institute of the Arts
D- ROI score
- 2.24
- Net price
- $46,080
- Earnings 10y
- $41,198
- Acceptance
- 32.3%
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools with positive Visual and Performing Arts, Other 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 17.28 (6 public, 2 private).
Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, 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?
8 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.
Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?
Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.