Affordable Alternatives to California Institute of Arts & Technology
Open-data reference.
We found 14 schools structurally similar to California Institute of Arts & Technology that cost less.
Your School
National City, California · Private For-Profit
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Alternatives to California Institute of Arts & Technology
California Institute of Arts & Technology posts an average net price of $32,637 after grants and scholarships, the IPEDS-derived figure used to anchor this alternatives search. We screened institutions in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for colleges that report a lower net price and share structural similarity with California Institute of Arts & Technology across six dimensions – ownership sector, Carnegie classification, undergraduate enrollment, admission rate, former-student earnings, and completion rate. 14 institutions cleared a 40-percent similarity threshold.
The maximum possible savings across this list is $16,488, achieved by Chamberlain University-Indiana at $16,149. None of the alternatives exceeded California Institute of Arts & Technology’s reported earnings, so the trade-off on this list is cost savings at the potential expense of outcome parity. The mean median-earnings figure across alternatives is $91,853.
The similarity scoring gives enrollment size, Carnegie classification, and ownership sector the highest weights as transparent structural matching choices. Admission and completion rates are secondary features, while net price determines which lower-cost matches appear. Net price is the average cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients; it describes that source cohort, not the aid a typical admitted student or any individual family will receive. It is more informative than sticker tuition for that cohort but is not a personalized quote.
Similar Schools That Cost Less
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Institution-level earnings + cost-of-attendance file · Institution data retrieved July 2026 Institution earnings use federally aided entry cohorts and are not graduate-only; net price is the cohort average for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients.
| School | Net Price | Savings | Earnings (10yr) | Graduation | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain University-Texas Houston, TX · Private For-Profit | $32,209 | -$428 | $92,405 | N/A | 69% |
| Unitek College Hayward, CA · Private For-Profit | $19,130 | -$13,507 | $87,877 | 67.8% | 49% |
| Manhattan University Riverdale, NY · Private Nonprofit | $27,256 | -$5,381 | $86,316 | 64.8% | 48% |
| West Coast University-Miami Doral, FL · Private For-Profit | $32,539 | -$98 | $102,672 | N/A | 45% |
| Chamberlain University-Indiana Indianapolis, IN · Private For-Profit | $16,149 | -$16,488 | $92,405 | N/A | 45% |
| Chamberlain University-Nevada Las Vegas, NV · Private For-Profit | $27,073 | -$5,564 | $92,405 | N/A | 45% |
| Chamberlain University-Michigan Troy, MI · Private For-Profit | $28,045 | -$4,592 | $92,405 | N/A | 45% |
| Chamberlain University-Missouri St. Louis, MO · Private For-Profit | $30,716 | -$1,921 | $92,405 | N/A | 45% |
| Chamberlain University-Louisiana Jefferson, LA · Private For-Profit | $30,791 | -$1,846 | $92,405 | N/A | 45% |
| Chamberlain University-Florida Jacksonville, FL · Private For-Profit | $31,269 | -$1,368 | $92,405 | N/A | 45% |
| Clarkson University Potsdam, NY · Private Nonprofit | $30,305 | -$2,332 | $89,696 | 74.3% | 45% |
| Williams College Williamstown, MA · Private Nonprofit | $17,716 | -$14,921 | $88,665 | 95.1% | 45% |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI · Private Nonprofit | $22,453 | -$10,184 | $89,070 | 69.2% | 43% |
| Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA · Private Nonprofit | $23,781 | -$8,856 | $94,810 | 94.4% | 41% |
Top Similar Alternatives
Quick picks from the full list – compare any two schools side by side
How We Match Schools
Our similarity engine compares schools across six dimensions: institution type (Carnegie classification), ownership (public/private), enrollment size, admission selectivity, former-student earnings, and completion rates. Each dimension is weighted by its impact on student outcomes.
Only schools with a lower average net price than California Institute of Arts & Technology are shown. Schools marked "Better Value" have comparable or higher median earnings at a lower cost.
Data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median values 10 years after enrollment, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records. Net price is the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students, as reported through IPEDS.
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Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.