California is home to dreamers, innovators, inventors, and trailblazers, and no wonder it’s also a hub to some of the best Art schools in the world even though some of them are quite expensive, perhaps you’ve noticed that too. Don’t worry, because there are still several cheap Art schools in California that still provide excellent education, yeah, they didn’t sacrifice quality for affordability.
We could say the same about some of the affordable film schools in this state, or even some of the cheapest Art schools in Europe.
Let not the cost of studies only be the basis for your selection, you should also bear in mind the kind of Art you intend to study and be sure the school provides and is good in it, their learning environment, and if possible scholarships too. Scholarships will definitely help you reduce the cost further, and if you’re very fortunate, you might get a fully-funded award that will waive your entire fee. Note that most scholarships are awarded automatically once you’re admitted to the school, so you shouldn’t worry about applying for these scholarships.
Now we have established these facts, let’s now list these very affordable Art schools in California.
Cheap Art Schools in California
Here are some of the cheapest Art schools in California along with their recent tuition fee. Note that tuition fees for in-state students are a lot cheaper than out-of-state and international students.
1. California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)
| Residents of California | $2,871 Per Semester (Undergraduate)
$3,588 Per Semester (Graduate) |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $3,267 Per Semester (Undergraduate)
$3,984 Per Semester (Graduate) |
| International Students | $16,392 (Undergraduate)
$14,658 (Graduate) |
The School of Art at CSULB is one of the largest publicly funded Schools of Art in the United States. If you intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree here you can choose from Art Education, Art History, Studio Art, and other Eight specialized BFA degree programs.
Likewise, if you want to pursue your master’s here you can choose from MA degrees in Art Education and Art History, and MFA degrees in Studio Art. This is among the cheap Art schools in California that also provides certificate programs in Museum and Curatorial Studies, and Biomedical Illustration.
2. California State University, Sacramento (CSUS)
| Residents of California | $1,665 Per Semester |
| Out-of-State Tuition | Additional $396 Per Unit |
The Department of Arts and Letters at CSUS provides art programs in BFA and an MFA in Studio Art, and BAs in Art, Art History, and Art Education. Also, students’ internship opportunities will be with the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, and other public and private art institutions and galleries in the capital region.
3. San Francisco State University (SFSU)
| Residents of California | $7,522 Annually (Undergraduate)
$8,722 Annually (Graduate) |
| Out-of-State Tuition | An additional $396 per unit |
| International Students | An additional $396 per unit |
School of Art at SFSU is among the cheap Art schools in California that also provides scholarships to help reduce the fees of lots of outstanding students even further. Besides what you’ll learn in the classroom, you’ll also gain hands-on experience with the collections of their Fine Arts Gallery and Global Museum.
The school provides a BA in Arts and Arts History, an MA in Studies, an MFA in Art, Minors in Art, Art History, and Museum Studies.
4. San Jose State University (SJSU)
| Residents of California | $2,871 Per Semester (Undergraduate)
$3,588 Per Semester (Graduate) |
| Out-of-State Tuition | An additional $396 per unit |
| International Students | $11,180 Annually |
The Department of Art and Art History at SJSU is among the cheapest Art schools in California which is located at the heart of Silicon Valley in California, San Jose. This department is recognized as one of the oldest, most comprehensive, and most affordable contemporary art schools in the Western United States.
Being one of the largest schools at SJSU, it gives them the opportunity to provide a wide range of BFA programs including Digital Media Art, Photography, Pictorial Art, and Spatial Art. They also offer MFA programs in Digital Media Art, Photography, Pictorial Art, and Spatial Art, and a Master’s of Art program in Art History and Visual Culture.
5. California State University, East Bay (CSUEB)
| Residents of California | $7,105 Per Year (Undergraduate)
$8,539 Per Year (Graduate) |
| Out of State Tuition and International Students | $16,509 per year (Undergraduate)
$15,567 per year (graduate) |
The Department of of Art at CSUEB is not just one of the most affordable Art schools in California they also provide fully equipped Painting and Drawing studio spaces, Sculpture and Ceramic studios, and several other art studios. They provide MA in Interaction Design and Interactive Art, BFA 3D Art & Design, Fine Arts Practice, BA Art History & Visual Studies, Design, Studio Arts, and many more Bachelor of Fine Art programs.
6. California State University, Fresno (Fresno State)
| Residents of California | $2,871 Per Semester (Undergraduate)
$3,588 Per Semester (Graduate) |
| Out of State Tuition and International Students | $396 per unit |
The Department of Art, Design, and Art History at Fresno State is not just one of the cheap Art schools in California, but it is also housed in the Phebe Conley Art Building: an award-winning contemporary building complex. Another interesting thing is that 80% of their students receive financial aid and they are Ranked No. 5 in the 2021 Social Mobility Index for high-quality, affordable education.
7. California State University, Chico
| Residents of California | $7,814 Per Year (Undergraduate)
$9,248 Per Year (Graduate) |
| Out of State Tuition and International Students | $396 per unit |
The Department of Art and Art History provides high-quality instruction in Art Education, Art History, Studio Art, and Interior Architecture. To add to their affordability, they still provide several scholarships during the spring semester mostly to outstanding students.
Conclusion
The beauty of these cheapest Art schools in California is that they didn’t sacrifice cost for quality, that is, they still provide the best education you could receive, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Even though we tried to provide an up-to-date tuition fee, note that they can change, it’s important to visit their official page to verify their current cost.
