Quad

Head-to-head

California Institute of the Arts
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art grads earn $42.6K more ten years out than California Institute of the Arts's ($83,847 vs. $41,198)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art costs about $26.2K less per year on average than California Institute of the Arts ($30,791 vs. $56,987, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's grants cover 56% of its full price on average, vs. 26% at California Institute of the Arts

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's yield is 24 pts higher than California Institute of the Arts's

    Yield rate
  5. 5

    Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art graduates 14 pts more of its students than California Institute of the Arts (85% vs. 71%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is 1.6× more selective than California Institute of the Arts

    Acceptance rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art admits 21%, California Institute of the Arts 32%.

Acceptance rate
California Institute of the Arts32%
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art21%
Quad's selectivity
  • California Institute of the ArtsVery selective
  • Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1200–1600
California Institute of the ArtsTest-blind
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
1295–1501
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • California Institute of the ArtsSchool record required
  • Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

California Institute of the Arts and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art are about the same size.

Undergrads
California Institute of the Arts860
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art842
Pell Grant share
California Institute of the Arts24%
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art28%

Majors and faculty

Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects leads at California Institute of the Arts, and Fine/Studio Arts at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.

Students per faculty member
California Institute of the Arts7 to 1
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art8 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • California Institute of the ArtsAnimation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects24%
  • Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtFine/Studio Arts, General30%

What each costs

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art costs about $26.2K less a year than California Institute of the Arts on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
California Institute of the Arts$57K
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art$30.8K
Aid generosity
California Institute of the Arts26%
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art56%

What each pays off

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art's former students earn more, a median $83.8K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
California Institute of the Arts$41.2K
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art$83.8K
Graduation rate
California Institute of the Arts71%
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art85%

How each has changed

Applications held steady at California Institute of the Arts but fell at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • California Institute of the ArtsSteady−7%
  • Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtShrinking−29%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why