Strong year-1 retention
Most first-year students return for year two.
This school87%
National avg75%
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
Back to results
UniversityprivateVerified data
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, CA
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$60,226
Out-of-State Tuition
$60,226
Avg On-Campus Living
$22,099
Avg Off-Campus Living
$22,503
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$82,325
Net price (after aid)$53,909
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$32,800
$30k – $48k$28,423
$48k – $75k$45,378
$75k – $110k$46,060
$110k+$56,394
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$49,414
Median debt at graduation$27,000
Est. monthly loan payment$286
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Moderate · 1.8×Graduates earn about 1.8× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants25%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans48%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
61%
Freshman Retention
87%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Scholarships available
Aid signal
Open-access admissions
Most qualified applicants are admitted.
Affordability snapshot
Tuition
$60.2k
Net price
$53.9k
Pell
25%
Median debt
$27k
Earnings (10y)
$49.4k
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
91%
SAT range
840 - 1083
ACT range
18 - 27
Actions
Visit WebsiteView AdmissionsApply via Common AppReport incorrect data
Pin this school
Keep it saved while you compare options.
Location
Loading map...
UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
San Francisco, CA 94107
Academics
Studying online: a small share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 1 of California College of the Arts's 1,333 students (0%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 32 (2%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
California College of the Arts reported conferring credentials in 12 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Similar schools
Frequently asked questions
About California College of the Arts
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is California College of the Arts located?
- California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, CA, in the United States.
- What type of institution is California College of the Arts?
- California College of the Arts is a private university based in CA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at California College of the Arts?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at California College of the Arts is approximately 91%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at California College of the Arts?
- California College of the Arts's published in-state tuition is approximately $60,226 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend California College of the Arts?
- California College of the Arts reports total enrollment of approximately 1,325 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does California College of the Arts actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at California College of the Arts is approximately $53,909 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $32,800 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $56,394. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at California College of the Arts?
- California College of the Arts reports a graduation rate of approximately 61%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of California College of the Arts have?
- Students who borrowed at California College of the Arts left with a median of approximately $27,000 in federal loans, and about 48% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of California College of the Arts earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $49,414 for students who received federal financial aid at California College of the Arts. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about California College of the Arts?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with California College of the Arts.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
All 12 fields California College of the Arts reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | 116 | Graduate32 graduate · 84 bachelor's |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 69 | Graduate26 graduate · 43 bachelor's |
| Graphic Communications | 68 | Graduate17 graduate · 51 bachelor's |
| Human Computer Interaction | 65 | Graduate45 graduate · 20 bachelor's |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 38 | Bachelor's |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 29 | Graduate14 graduate · 15 bachelor's |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 19 | Graduate9 graduate · 10 bachelor's |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 17 | Graduate |
| Interior Architecture | 11 | Bachelor's |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 9 | Graduate7 graduate · 2 bachelor's |
| Woodworking | 2 | Bachelor's |
| Museology/Museum Studies | 1 | Graduate |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideOther colleges in San Francisco, CAAll colleges in CaliforniaCalifornia college costs by family incomeStudent debt at California collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with California College of the Arts before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of California College of the Arts are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). California College of the Arts, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/california-college-of-the-arts
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
Represent California College of the Arts?
Claim your CampusPin institution page to review and manage your profile, and help keep your institution's information current. Verified representatives can update profile details directly; figures published by federal agencies are updated through CampusPin's review process.