California College of the Arts is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in San Francisco, California. It enrolls 990 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Fair
52/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes73
Value1
Affordability15
Selectivity18
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 91.1%, California College of the Arts is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
91.1%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether California College of the Arts is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
11.6 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending California College of the Arts isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $53,909 per year. That's above the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$53,909
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
25%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
48%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$60,226
Room & Board (on-campus)
$22,099
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,503
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,798
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,509
Total Cost of Attendance
$79,776
Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$61,407
$30,001 – $48,000
$43,261
$48,001 – $75,000
$45,378
$75,001 – $110,000
$46,060
Over $110,000
$56,394
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$12,00025%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$34,25075%percentile
$42,75090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $25,000
↓ $2,000
No Pell $13,000
↓ $14,000
Dependent students $19,047
↓ $7,953
Independent students $29,250
↑ $2,250
Female students $19,000
↓ $8,000
Male students $22,250
↓ $4,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
63% of full-time students who enrolled at California College of the Arts graduate within six years, and 90% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
63%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
90%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered California College of the Arts earn a median of $49,414 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$49,414
Earning > $25K
65%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$43,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$55,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$57,300
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$44,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,700, about 23% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
7.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 76% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
California College of the Arts is home to 990 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
990
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
24%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
International 31.9%316
White 20.8%206
Hispanic 16.5%163
Asian 15.7%155
Other 7.4%73
Black 4.0%40
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at California College of the Arts. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large CitySan Francisco, California
Housing
Strongly residential732 beds for 990 students
Adult Learners
11%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
California College of the Arts offers
a varied set of programs:
18 distinct programs across
8 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at California College of the Arts is 7:1, low (small classes, more faculty contact).
Student : Faculty
7:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$151M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$84,068
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
88 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
30
34%
$100,934
Associate Professors
43
49%
$78,491
Assistant Professors
14
16%
$62,849
Instructors
1
1%
$115,000
Pros & Cons of California College of the Arts
A quick at-a-glance summary of how California College of the Arts tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
Strong first-year retention
CONS
High net price compared to most US colleges
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Best for:
Based on the data, California College of the Arts is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about California College of the Arts
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about California College of the Arts.
Is California College of the Arts hard to get into?
California College of the Arts has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 91.1%.
What is the acceptance rate at California College of the Arts?
California College of the Arts has an acceptance rate of 91.1%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does California College of the Arts cost?
The average net price after aid at California College of the Arts is $53,909 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is California College of the Arts worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $49,414 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $53,909 per year. That's roughly 0.9x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is California College of the Arts known for?
California College of the Arts is best known for its programs in Design, Human Computer Interaction, Graphic Communications. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do California College of the Arts graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering California College of the Arts are $49,414, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is California College of the Arts accredited?
Yes. California College of the Arts is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend California College of the Arts?
California College of the Arts enrolls 990 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at California College of the Arts?
California College of the Arts graduates 63% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is California College of the Arts a public or private college?
California College of the Arts is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is California College of the Arts located?
California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, California.
What programs does California College of the Arts offer?
California College of the Arts offers 18 distinct programs. The most popular include Design, Human Computer Interaction, Graphic Communications.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at California College of the Arts?
The student-to-faculty ratio at California College of the Arts is 7:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
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Rankings That Feature California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
Highest-Earning Precision Production Colleges
The highest-earning colleges for Precision Production, ranked by graduate salary 10 years after entry.
$76,571 Top Earn
$51,087 Avg Earn
71 UCD Score
17 Colleges
Most Affordable Precision Production Colleges
The most affordable colleges for Precision Production, ranked by net price with earnings and outcomes shown.
$8,522 Lowest Net
$21,108 Avg Net
71 UCD Score
$76,571 Top Earn
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