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Southern California Institute of Architecture

Los Angeles, CA · City · 236 students
WebsiteCommon AppScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$43,923
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
71%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
67% typical
$71,909
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$47,863 typical
77%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
77% typical · not scored
Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
About

The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is a world-renowned, independent design school housed in a historic, quarter-mile-long former freight depot in Downtown Los Angeles’s Arts District. Best known for its avant-garde and speculative approach to spatial design, SCI-Arc offers top-ranked Bachelor and Master of Architecture degree programs alongside innovative postgraduate tracks in fields like fiction, entertainment, and synthetic landscapes. Campus culture is immersive, rigorous, and studio-driven, bringing together a global community of students who work with cutting-edge digital fabrication, robotics, and design theory. Uniquely unburdened by the traditional structure of a larger university, SCI-Arc operates as a pure, hyper-focused laboratory for architectural innovation deeply tied to L.A.'s creative ecosystem.


Wikipedia:The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is a private Architecture school in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1972, SCI-Arc was initially regarded as both institutionally and artistically avant-garde. It currently enrolls approximately 600 students and employs 80 faculty members, some of whom are professional architects. The school is located in the quarter-mile long (0.40 km) former Santa Fe Freight Depot in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. SCI-Arc also offers community events, such as outreach programs, free exhibitions, and public lectures.

Location
Los Angeles, CA, 90013-1822 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
LAX · Los Angeles
12 mi away
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
These figures are federal data and may be out of date.
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$56,162
Books & supplies$1,700
Cost of attendance$71,612
Average net price$43,923
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$56,162
Books & supplies$1,700
Cost of attendance$71,612
Average net price$43,923
Net price by family income · 2023-24
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
71%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
0%
Back for yr 2
91%
Transferred
0%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
80% graduated · 20% left or unknown · none transferred or still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$53,274
10 yrs after entry$71,909
Debt
Middle 50% owe$17k–$44.5k
Green marks a figure above the typical Special focus — other: 67% graduate within 6 yrs, $47,863 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
77%
Test policy
Test optional
Per College Scorecard

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Essay prompts

If Southern California Institute of Architecture asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 56%Women 44%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell grant
21%
Family income
$27,841
Independent
48%
Age at entry
24.0
Part-time
0%
Race & ethnicity
White
17%
Hispanic
17%
Black
3%
Asian
13%
Two or more
4%
Non-resident
46%
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
$53,274
After 10 yrs
$71,909
Architectural Sciences and Technology49
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$7M
Full-time faculty
63%
Faculty salary
$9,192/mo
Teaching spend
$17,178
per student
Federal loans
24%
Classification
Carnegie type
Special focus — other
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, selective admissions

Wondering if Southern California Institute of Architecture 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.

Personalized reach / match / safety list
Financial aid & net cost estimates
Deep dives on any school
Scholarship search