10-yr median earnings
$49,414
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · San Francisco, California
California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts is a private nonprofit institution in San Francisco, California. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $49,414
- 10-yr median earnings
- 91.1%
- Acceptance rate
- $53,909
- Avg net price / yr
- 62.3%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
California College of the Arts pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 30%
- former-student earnings, US
- 91.1%
- acceptance rate
- 62.3%
- 150%-time completion
- +29%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: Special Focus (4yr)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this California College of the Arts profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Special Focus Four-Year: Arts, Music & Design Schools"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
D
College Value Score
45/100
California College of the Arts
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B-
$49,414
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$53,909
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate C
62.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$27,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
70.5%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention B+
86.7%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$53,909
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
62.3%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 62.3%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - California College of the Arts vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How California College of the Arts ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
California College of the Arts: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$49,414 Top 30% higher than 70% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | California College of the Arts | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $49,414 | #1522 of 5103 | 70th |
| Average net price | $53,909 | #5005 of 5020 | 0th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 62.3% | #2032 of 4858 | 58th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 990 | #2193 of 5462 | 60th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
990
Undergraduate enrollment
91.1%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
62.3%
150%-time completion
$49,414
10-yr median earnings
86.7%
First-year retention
How California College of the Arts ranks in California
State rank among 493 reporting California colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | California College of the Arts | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $49,414 | #166 of 493 | 66th |
| Average net price | $53,909 | #493 of 495 | 0th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 62.3% | #255 of 483 | 47th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 990 | #224 of 553 | 59th |
Highest former-student earnings in California
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Merritt University | $143,238 | - |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd College | $138,687 | $35,924 |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology | $128,566 | $16,075 |
| 4 | Stanford University | $124,080 | $13,807 |
| 5 | Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health | $115,318 | - |
| 6 | Gnomon | $114,785 | $51,949 |
| 7 | Santa Clara University | $109,183 | $50,062 |
| 8 | Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University | $109,183 | - |
| 9 | Touro University California | $104,805 | - |
| 10 | Claremont McKenna College | $104,736 | $28,849 |
| 11 | West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County | $102,672 | $32,879 |
| 12 | West Coast University-Ontario | $102,672 | $49,590 |
| 166 | California College of the ArtsThis school | $49,414 | $53,909 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 91.1% |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at California College of the Arts
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$61,407 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$43,261 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$45,378 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$56,394 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at California College of the Arts - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $60,226 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $60,226 |
| Average Net Price | $53,909 |
25.1%
Pell Grant Rate
48.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$27,000
Median Debt
$286/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at California College of the Arts rose +37.3% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $30,719 in 2013 to $42,168 in 2023, a rise of $11,449 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $30,7192023 · $42,168
Over the same years, enrollment went -28.6% (1,463 → 1,044 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
61.9%
Female
24.4%
First Generation
Outcomes
86.7%
Retention Rate
$38,308
Median Earnings (6yr)
56.0%
Earning Over $25K
70.5%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 62.3% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 86.7% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $38,308 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $49,414 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 56.0% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 70.5% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $286/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | 6 | 101 | $107,420 | $157,122 | $67,022 |
| Bachelor's | 5 | 242 | $70,867 | $149,149 | $27,006 |
Top programs at California College of the Arts by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$157,122 median earnings
- Human Computer Interaction
Human Computer Interaction
$149,149 median earnings
- Design and Applied Arts $59,238
Design and Applied Arts
$59,238 median earnings
- Fine and Studio Arts $57,717
Fine and Studio Arts
$57,717 median earnings
- Fine and Studio Arts $44,012
Fine and Studio Arts
$44,012 median earnings
- Graphic Communications $31,068
Graphic Communications
$31,068 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | 23 | $157,122 | $81,257 |
| Human Computer Interaction | Bachelor's | 22 | $149,149 | $27,125 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's | 99 | $59,238 | $27,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Master's | 29 | $57,717 | $51,870 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's | 61 | $44,012 | $27,000 |
| Graphic Communications | Bachelor's | 60 | $31,068 | $26,899 |
| Architecture | Bachelor's | - | - | - |
| Architecture | Master's | - | - | - |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Master's | 15 | - | $67,940 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Master's | 8 | - | - |
| Design and Applied Arts | Master's | 26 | - | - |
Nearby Schools
San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology Inc
San Francisco, CA
167 students
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
3,587 students
Golden Gate University
San Francisco, CA
259 students
Minerva University
San Francisco, CA
637 students
California Institute of Integral Studies
San Francisco, CA
38 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at California College of the Arts? ▼
California College of the Arts is a private nonprofit institution in San Francisco, California. The acceptance rate is 91.1%. Undergraduate enrollment is 990 students.
How much do California College of the Arts former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at California College of the Arts who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $49,414 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $38,308.
How much does California College of the Arts cost? ▼
The average net price at California College of the Arts is $53,909. In-state tuition is $60,226 and out-of-state tuition is $60,226. Median student debt at graduation is $27,000.
What is the graduation rate at California College of the Arts? ▼
California College of the Arts has a 62.3% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 86.7%.
Is California College of the Arts worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at California College of the Arts is $27,000, while former students earn a median of $49,414 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 55% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 70.5% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $286.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from California College of the Arts
- Compare California College of the Arts against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in California side by side.Browse California
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.