California College of the Arts

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

990

Graduate enrollment

304

Student–faculty ratio

8 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

25%

First-generation students

24%

Students over 25

11%

Median family income

$38,844

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$88,065

Endowment

$42,631,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate

91.1%

Test scores

Not considered

SAT range (25th–75th %)

—

SAT average

—

SAT reading

—

SAT math

—

ACT composite

—

Cost

In-state tuition

$60,226

Room & board

$22,099

Books & supplies

$1,500

Total cost of attendance

$79,776

Average net price

$53,909

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)

61%

Graduated on time (4 years)

48%

First-year retention

87%

Transferred to another college

0%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$38,308

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$49,414

Median debt at graduation

$27,000

Students with federal loans

48%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

62%

About 14% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

Yes

Dorm capacity

732

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

74%

Housing charge (year)

$14,877

Meal plan (year)

$6,288

Application fee

$70

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Campus safety

Safety grade

C

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

2.5 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

3

Property offenses (2022–2024)

7

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,308 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$45,378/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.