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California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA · Suburb · 860 students
WebsiteScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$46,080
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
65%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
52% typical
$41,198
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$51,562 typical
32%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
81% typical · not scored
Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
About

Founded by Walt Disney, the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a prestigious, multidisciplinary institution renowned for pushing creative boundaries in the visual and performing arts. The institute is globally celebrated for its powerhouse School of Film/Video—particularly its legendary animation programs that have shaped modern cinema—alongside acclaimed schools of Art, Theater, Dance, and the Herb Alpert School of Music. Campus culture is intensely experimental, collaborative, and non-hierarchical, treating students as practicing artists from their first day and encouraging work that crosses disciplinary lines. Distinctively, CalArts emphasizes artistic risk-taking by replacing traditional letter grades with comprehensive faculty narrative evaluations and mentorship, fostering an environment dedicated to creative development over conventional metrics.


Wikipedia:The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual and performing arts. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. It is located about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Location
Valencia, CA, 91355-2397 · Suburb campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
LAX · Los Angeles
32 mi away
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$58,996
Housing & food (on campus)$14,134
Books & supplies$1,062
Cost of attendance$90,455
Average net price$46,080
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$58,996
Housing & food (on campus)$14,134
Books & supplies$1,062
Cost of attendance$90,455
Average net price$46,080
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.calarts.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
California Institute of the Arts’s own figures for 2026-27, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$62,954
Fees$730
Housing$8,304
Food$9,406
Books & supplies$1,306
Personal expenses$3,528
Transportation$1,386
Total published by the school$90,455
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$26,686
$30–48k
$40,899
$48–75k
$51,847
$75–110k
$38,627
$110k+
$58,873
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
65%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
41%
Back for yr 2
82%
Transferred
18%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
68% graduated · 23% transferred · 9% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$28,018
10 yrs after entry$41,198
Debt
Median at graduation$25,000
Monthly payment$265
Middle 50% owe$16.4k–$36k
90th percentile$45,500
Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (medium programs): 52% graduate within 6 yrs.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
32%
Test policy
Not required
Per College Scorecard

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Essay prompts

If California Institute of the Arts asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body
Gender
Men 40%Women 60%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
7 : 1
Pell grant
24%
First-gen
16%
Family income
$55,256
Independent
16%
Age at entry
21.0
Part-time
1%
Race & ethnicity
White
32%
Hispanic
17%
Black
5%
Asian
9%
Two or more
7%
Non-resident
26%
Unknown
3%
Varsity sports

No data. This school isn't in the U.S. Department of Education's athletics (EADA) file, so we can't list its teams. That doesn't mean it has none.

Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$28,018
After 10 yrs
$41,198
Music43
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft36
Graphic Communications35
Film/Video and Photographic Arts28
Fine and Studio Arts19
Dance13
Design and Applied Arts12
Computer Software and Media Applications7
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$249M
Full-time faculty
45%
Faculty salary
$10,095/mo
Teaching spend
$34,675
per student
Federal loans
36%
Classification
Carnegie type
Master's (medium programs)
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions

Wondering if California Institute of the Arts is the right fit for you?

SchoolScout builds a personalized college list — reach, match, and safety schools — tailored to your profile, grades, and goals. Get financial aid estimates, scholarship guidance, and deep dives on every school.

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Financial aid & net cost estimates
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