About
The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) is a private graduate school in San Francisco. Founded in 1968 as the California Institute of Asian Studies, the school adopted its current name in 1980. CIIS has been regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1981.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 26 Title IV programs, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 23 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing2 · 7.7%
- No Data23 · 88.5%
- Failing1 · 3.8%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 7
- Jun 2024Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jun 2020Removal of Monitoring StatusWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Dec 2019Grant Substantive Change: ProgramWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jun 2018Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning RemovedWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jun 2018Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning RemovedWASC Senior College and University Commission
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 28 students received $204K in Pell grants, alongside $46.6M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 359 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at CIIS
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- Public property1
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
CIIS vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions CIIS selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCalifornia Institute of Integral Studies | — | — | 1,874 | — | Doctoral/Professional |
Claremont Graduate University | — | — | 1,771 | — | R2 Research |
Dominican University of California | 78% | 83.5% | 1,900 | $50,218 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
Naropa University | 37% | 100.0% | 1,094 | $28,862 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
Notre Dame de Namur University | 7% | 99.9% | 306 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
Pacifica Graduate Institute | — | — | 833 | — | — |
Palo Alto University | — | — | 1,065 | — | — |
Saybrook University | — | — | 1,057 | — | Doctoral/Professional |
The Wright Institute | — | — | 518 | — | — |
| Peer group median | 37% | 99.9% | 1,065 | $39,540 |
CIIS Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research (IR) provides data, analysis and information services that foster and support effective and informed decision-making, policy formulation and planning.
Visit IR office page- Lael FonDirector of Institutional Research
- Kathleen Marie ClancySr. Systems Analyst
- Amanda LeeInstitutional Research Analyst
- Jessica McGuireInstitutional Research Manager
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planBuilding On Commitment: CIIS @ 602022The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) has unveiled a new strategic plan, 'Building On Commitment: CIIS @ 60,' covering the period from 2022 to 2028. The plan, crafted with extensive community input, centers around goals such as reimagining the university's core identity, achieving sustainability, gaining recognition for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and fostering innovation in research and community life. CIIS aims to continue being a hub for academic rigor and personal growth by embedding spirituality and improving community well-being, ensuring a meaningful impact on society and the world.ciis.edu
Frequently asked questions about California Institute of Integral Studies
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about CIIS.
How many students attend California Institute of Integral Studies?
Where is California Institute of Integral Studies located?
Who runs Institutional Research at California Institute of Integral Studies?
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