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California Institute of the Arts
Admission here is competitive but not lottery-odds: 26% got in from a pool of 2,023 (Fall 2023 cycle).
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California Institute of the Arts occupies suburban Valencia, CA — a private campus quieter than a downtown one, closer to one than a rural seat. International students are a visible presence here — 25.7% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, where graduates median $41,192 four years out. 24.2% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 860 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 82.4% of first-years come back for a second year.
California Institute of the Arts won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, California Institute of the Arts received 2,023 applications and admitted 525 (26%), with 177 enrolling.
Leave the SAT prep out of this one — test scores are disregarded entirely. California Institute of the Arts's 32.3% admission rate turned on grades and application strength.
How California Institute of the Arts compares
| California Institute of the Arts | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 32.3% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $58,996 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $41,198 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
At $41,198, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($64,778). Look at California Institute of the Arts's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $58,996 regardless of where you're from. At California Institute of the Arts, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 860 — California Institute of the Arts is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
66.7% graduate within six years. Roughly 33% don't — ask a California Institute of the Arts tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at California Institute of the Arts
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $41,192 |
| Music | $40,294 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $29,426 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $28,617 |
Median earnings for these 4 California Institute of the Arts programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $41,198 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 6 additional California Institute of the Arts programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for California Institute of the Arts?
California Institute of the Arts doesn't look at test scores; its 32.3% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is California Institute of the Arts's acceptance rate?
26% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 525 admitted from 2,023 applicants.
How much does California Institute of the Arts cost?
At California Institute of the Arts, published tuition is $58,996 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is California Institute of the Arts's ceiling, not a quote.
What do California Institute of the Arts graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $41,198 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- University of California-Santa Barbara — 33% admitted
- University of California-San Diego — 26.7% admitted
- University of California-Irvine — 28.6% admitted
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo — 31.3% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.