California College of the Arts

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA, USA

Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts is a Bay Area-based school of art and design with campuses in San Francisco and Oakland. CCA is home to 22 undergraduate programs in core disciplines of Architecture, Fine Arts, Design, and Humanities. To provide an immersive artistic experience, CCA features specialized studio space such as a Model Shop and Digital Craft Lab. For students who wish to practice art and design in another culture, CCA partners with schools in Germany, Sweden, China, and Japan to offer semester abroad programs.

Admissions

Key Admissions Stats

Institution Type
Private
  • Not for Profit
  • Coed

Need Aware

This school may consider an applicant’s financial situation when deciding admission

Level of Institution
4 Year
Campus Setting
Major city
0
100
78%
Acceptance Rate

Admissions Requirements

SAT
SAT is not checked
No
ACT
ACT is not checked
No
Transcript
Transcript is checked
Yes

Important Deadlines

Rolling Admissions

The college has rolling admissions, which means applications are accepted any time throughout the year.

Admitted Student Stats

In-State Students
40%
Out-Of-State Students
32%
Average ACT Composite: 24
0
36
Average SAT Composite: 1160
0
1600

Academics

Key Academic Stats

Highest Degree Offered
Master's
Total Number of Students
1,630
Total Number of Undergrads
1,249
Academic Calendar

Semester

See your fit
Classroom Sizes

2-19 Students
83%
20-39 Students
16%
0
100
41%
Graduate in 4 Years US National: 28%
0
100
64%
Graduate in 6 Years US National: 52%
Student:Faculty Ratio
8:1
US National: 21:1

Tuition, Cost & Aid

Key Financial Stats

Average Net Price
$43,687
Calculate your net cost
Tuition
In-State Tuition In-state tuition is the tuition charged by institutions to those students who meet the state's or institution's residency requirements. In-district tuition is the tuition charged by the institution to those students residing in the locality in which they attend school and may be a lower rate than in-state tuition if offered by the institution.
$54,706
Out-of-State Tuition Out-of-state tuition is the tuition charged by institutions to those students who do not meet the state’s or institution’s residency requirements. Out-of-district tuition is the tuition charged by the institution to those students not residing in the locality in which they attend school.
$54,706
Additional Costs
Room and Board The weighted average for room and board and other expenses is generated as follows:
  • (amount for on-campus room, board and other expenses * # of students living on-campus.
  • + amount for off-campus (with family) room, board and other expenses * # of students living off-campus with family
  • + amount for off-campus (not with family) room, board and other expenses * # of students living off-campus not with family)
divided by the total # of students. Students whose living arrangements are unknown are excluded from the calculation. For some institutions the # of students by living arrangement will be known, but dollar amounts will not be known. In this case the # of students with no corresponding dollar amount will be excluded from the denominator.
$19,957
Books and Supplies
$1500

Aid & Grants

0
100
65%
Need Met
Students Receiving Gift Aid Percent of undergraduate students awarded federal gift aid. Federal gift aid includes any grant or scholarship aid awarded, from the federal government, a state or local government, the institution, and other sources known by the institution.
22%
Average Aid Per Year
$25,775
Students Receiving Grants Percent of undergraduate students awarded grant aid. Grant aid includes any grant or scholarship aid awarded, from the federal government, a state or local government, the institution, and other sources known by the institution.
22%
Average Federal Grant Aid Per Year
$5,529
Average Institution Grant Aid Per Year
$23,545

Student Loans

Students Borrowing Loans Loans to students - Any monies that must be repaid to the lending institution for which the student is the designated borrower. Includes all Title IV subsidized and unsubsidized loans and all institutionally- and privately-sponsored loans. Does not include PLUS and other loans made directly to parents.
33%
Average Loan Amount Per Year
$6,286
Average Debt at Graduation The median federal debt of undergraduate borrowers who graduated. This figure includes only federal loans; it excludes private student loans and Parent PLUS loans.
$25,375
Median Monthly Loan Payment The median monthly loan payment for student borrowers who completed, if it were repaid over 10 years at a 5.05% interest rate.
$258

Campus Life

Key Campus Stats

Student Gender
Male
Female
36%
64%
Student Organizations
27
Size of Town
Major city
LGBTQIA Student Resource Groups
LGBTQIA Student Resource Groups is checked
Yes
On Campus Women's Center
On Campus Women's Center is not checked
No

Housing

0
100
33%
Undergrads Living on Campus
On-campus living required of freshman
No

Athletics

Divisional Sports Nickname
Chimera
Varsity Athletics Conference Primary
Not applicable

Campus Safety

24-HR security patrol
24-HR security patrol is checked
Yes
Campus emergency phones
Campus emergency phones is checked
Yes

After Graduation

Post Grad Stats

Top 5 Cities
San Francisco
Los Angeles
New York
Portland
Seattle
Employed
6 mos. after graduation
56%
Average Salary
6 years after graduation
$48,000

What Students Are Saying

California College of the Arts is a diverse and integrated school that really cares about community and individual growth. At CCA I spent four wonderful years discovering new things, immersing myself in art culture, and meeting like-minded passionate people who care about art and their community. I would highly recommend CCA to any art student who wants to learn from industry professionals and is looking for a memorable experience.
Xavier from Tallulah, LA
California College of the Arts has a unique and rigorous program created for the conscious modern day artist. Their curriculum and resources prepares students to combine art with the communities both around the institution and the world. Preparing alumni to face the battles of continuing to purse a career in art outside of the school.
Cinthia from Oakland, CA
attached to art history. mostly conceptually charged teachers. design over fine arts.
Joshua from Oakland, CA
A place where every art interacts and mixes together. CCA encourages students to interact with other majors and strengthen connections for the future. With teachers who are currently working in the art world, students get a taste of what their lives will be like after graduation.
Someone from San Francisco
Great Teachers with knowledgable staff.
Friendly learning work environment.
A great place to pursue the arts.
Alexander from Oakland, CA
California college of the arts is a great private art school. The classes are really small and you become a tight knit community.
India from New York, NY
CCA is a diverse college that has two campuses located in Oakland, CA and San Francisco, CA. It educates students to shape culture and society through the practice and study of the arts of architecture, writing, and design. This college prepares the students for cultivating innovation, community engagement, and having responsibility in social and environmental issues.
Jaimie from San Ramon, CA
California College of the Arts is amazing,they let their students strive and want the best for them not only as students but as people as well. Also, they have an incredible diversity population, every corner you turn, you meet someone with a different background. To put it shortly, everyone should attend to CCA.
Kalyn from Roxbury, MA