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California College of the Arts

San Francisco, California · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

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Official website

At a glance

Average net price
$53,909What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
91%
Graduation rate
62%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
990
In-state tuition
$60,226Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$60,226
SAT midpoint
Not reported
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$49,414Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$53,909

Better than 0% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

62%

Better than 58% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$49,414

Better than 35% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$27,000

Better than 4% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$79,776

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$53,909

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?
Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for California College of the Arts
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time62%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return87%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$27,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$49,414

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at California College of the Arts by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Human Computer Interaction$101,80129
Design and Applied Arts$28,67384
Graphic Communications$26,48146
Fine and Studio Arts$17,69045
Computer Software and Media ApplicationsNot reported29
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsNot reported26
Architectural Sciences and TechnologyNot reported15
WoodworkingNot reported4
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesNot reported2
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and ArtisanryNot reportedNot reported
ArchitectureNot reportedNot reported

All 11 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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