Quad

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CAQuad's selectivityAccessible
Known forVery diverse
WebsiteAdmissionsApplyFinancial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

9 in 10 applicants admitted

California College of the Arts admits about 9 in 10 applicants (91%). That puts it in the "Accessible" tier, more selective than 20% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

91%

91%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityAccessible

Applied

2,371

Admitted

2,160

Yield

8%

of admits enroll

Applications +18% since fall 2014 · admit rate 64% → 91%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 990 undergrads, where 25% receive Pell Grants, a low share compared to other colleges.

990

undergrads · larger than 36% of colleges

Diversity index

0.80

Pell Grant

25%

below the median

First generation

24%

below the median

Large cityStudy abroad
Steady · index 0.78 → 0.80 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects (23% of graduates). 8 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 89% of colleges. 22% of faculty are full-time. Spends $24,140 a year on instruction per student.

8 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 89% of colleges

Most popular major

Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects

23% of 2024–25 graduates

Top-earning major

Human Computer Interaction

$149.1K four years after completion

Full-time faculty

22%

of faculty

Instruction spending

$24.1K

per student a year

All majors with search, earnings by major, and faculty

Cost & aid · 2023–24

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $52,723 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $28.4K more than the national median. The 96% who received grants paid $46,823 on average; the other 4% paid the full sticker price of $84,409.

38%

$52.7K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $28.4K above the national median

$0$110K$400K+
Full price
$84,409 a year
tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid
Published data end at $110K
use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid
36% · avg $25K
of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)
Aid generosity

Moderate

grants cover 38% of full price

Federal loans

48%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office
Cost steady · +2% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $49,414 ten years after enrolling, more than at 37% of colleges; 73% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 4.3 years of that salary.

73%

73%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$49.4K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$27K

≈ $286/month for 10 years

Retention

87%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 54% → 61% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price rose 14% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid rose 2%, because grants grew faster. Applications rose 18% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 64% to 91%.

  • Cost

    Steady

    +2% after inflation

  • Applications

    Growing

    +18%

  • Selectivity

    Less selective

    admit rate 64% → 91%

  • Diversity

    Steady

    index 0.78 → 0.80

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

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Pacific University

90% admit · SAT 1070 · 1.5K undergrads

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Christian Brothers University

87% admit · SAT 1200 · 905 undergrads

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Laguna College of Art and Design

94% admit · 746 undergrads

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

  1. 1
    IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  2. 2
    College Scorecard

    U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  3. 3
    IPEDS Admissions survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  4. 4
    IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  5. 5
    IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  6. 6
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  7. 7
    IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12

  8. 8
    College Scorecard Field of Study data

    U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12

  9. 9
    IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  10. 10
    IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  11. 11
    Common Data Set

    Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12

  12. 12
    IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  13. 13
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  14. 14
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  15. 15
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  16. 16
    IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  17. 17
    IPEDS Outcome Measures survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12

IPEDS unit ID 110370 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything