California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA, USA

The California Institute of the Arts is a private university that offers degree programs in visual and performing arts. CalArts offers degrees in more than 70 degree-granting programs in Art, Music, Dance, Theater, and Film, with all undergraduate pathways following the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) General Education Curriculum. All of the arts are housed under one 500,000 sq.-ft. building in Santa Clarita, encouraging diverse collaborations across disciplines and investigation of hybrid art forms. Students can take their ideas cross-cultural by utilizing study abroad opportunities through CalArts artistic collaborations and partnerships worldwide, too.

Admissions

Key Admissions Stats

Institution Type
Private
  • Not for Profit
  • Coed

Need Blind

This school does not consider an applicant’s financial situation when deciding admission

Level of Institution
4 Year
Campus Setting
Suburb or town
0
100
25%
Acceptance Rate

Admissions Requirements

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

Important Deadlines

Application TypeApplication DeadlineReply Deadline
Fall Regular DecisionJanuary 5June 1
OtherDecember 3

Rolling Admissions

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

Admitted Student Stats

In-State Students
32%
Out-Of-State Students
42%
Average ACT Composite: 21
0
36
Average SAT Composite: 1160
0
1600

Academics

Key Academic Stats

Highest Degree Offered
Doctorate
Total Number of Students
1,440
Total Number of Undergrads
940
Academic Calendar

Semester

See your fit
Classroom Sizes

2-19 Students
80%
20-39 Students
17%
40-99 Students
2%
0
100
56%
Graduate in 4 Years US National: 28%
0
100
66%
Graduate in 6 Years US National: 52%
Student:Faculty Ratio
7:1
US National: 21:1

Tuition, Cost & Aid

Key Financial Stats

Average Net Price
$59,367
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.
$56,724
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.
$56,724
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.
$12,820
Books and Supplies
$938

Aid & Grants

0
100
75%
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.
21%
Average Aid Per Year
$20,474
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.
21%
Average Federal Grant Aid Per Year
$5,321
Average Institution Grant Aid Per Year
$16,932

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.
32%
Average Loan Amount Per Year
$9,981
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.
$24,326
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
39%
61%
Student Organizations
19
Size of Town
Suburb or town
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
37%
Undergrads Living on Campus
On-campus living required of freshman
No

Athletics

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
Los Angeles
San Francisco
New York
San Diego
Orange
Average Salary
6 years after graduation
$50,600

What Students Are Saying

Really awesome if you know what you want. This university is all about the business, you don't want to muck around waiting for someone to tell you what you're going to do.
Marvin from Norwalk, CA
As an artist, you dream of going to a place where like minded individuals share your colorful visions- and CalARTS brings students like this together. The landscape is enriching and the talent is infinite. The school is small but the opportunities grand.
NS from Los Angeles, CA
CalArts is a wonderful choice for any student looking to stretch their artistic abilities. The faculty are very nurturing and helpful. The classes can be difficult, but it's worth the great education.
Erin from Saugus, CA
this college is amazing. a lot of hard work, but plenty of friendly faces. i'm so glad i cam to this school
Tomas from Novato, CA
It is excellent for imaginative people who come from a strong technical trained background, to explore their creative sides of their artistic forms.
Mengna from Stevenson Ranch, CA
Very challenging courses. Small student to teacher ratio which is excellent. Very expensive.
Celeste