California Institute of the Arts
About
The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual and performing arts. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. It is located about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 22 Title IV programs, 4 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 5 fail. 13 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing4 · 18.2%
- No Data13 · 59.1%
- Failing5 · 22.7%
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.
National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
WASC Senior College and University Commission
National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
Programmatic accreditations · 4
Action history · 8
- Jun 2024Grant Substantive Change: OwnershipWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jun 2021Voluntary Withdrawal ReceivedNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Jun 2021Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Nov 2020Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 258 students received $1.6M in Pell grants, alongside $14.3M 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 299 borrowers who entered repayment, 5 (1.6%) 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 Calarts
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
- On campus2
Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
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.
Calarts vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Calarts 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 the Arts | 67% | 32.3% | 1,277 | $46,080 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
| 52% | 24.5% | 1,452 | $41,416 | — | |
| 79% | 74.5% | 2,308 | $48,661 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs | |
| 61% | 91.1% | 1,308 | $53,909 | — | |
| 78% | 40.8% | 1,084 | $51,754 | — | |
| 72% | 76.8% | 1,687 | $42,729 | — | |
| 51% | 48.5% | 831 | $29,926 | — | |
| 66% | 81.8% | 1,267 | $51,248 | — | |
| 74% | 73.3% | 5,356 | $52,659 | — | |
| 89% | 18.7% | 2,520 | $50,507 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 72% | 69.7% | 1,666 | $57,742 | — | |
| 74% | 54.9% | 439 | $42,607 | — | |
| 67% | 77.5% | 3,394 | $49,790 | — | |
| 76% | 92.6% | 3,812 | $57,914 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 91% | 9.2% | 1,073 | $43,571 | — | |
University of the Arts | 69% | 78.2% | — | $44,154 | — |
| Peer group median | 72% | 71.5% | 1,452 | $49,226 |
Institutions like Calarts
Explore the federal data for institutions in Calarts's comparison group.
- New York
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Grad rate52%Admit rate24.5%Enrollment1,452Net price$41,416View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsCalifornia
Art Center College of Design
Grad rate79%Admit rate74.5%Enrollment2,308Net price$48,661View data - California
California College of the Arts
Grad rate61%Admit rate91.1%Enrollment1,308Net price$53,909View data - New York
Manhattan School of Music
Grad rate78%Admit rate40.8%Enrollment1,084Net price$51,754View data - Maryland
Maryland Institute College of Art
Grad rate72%Admit rate76.8%Enrollment1,687Net price$42,729View data - Minnesota
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Grad rate51%Admit rate48.5%Enrollment831Net price$29,926View data - California
Otis College of Art and Design
Grad rate66%Admit rate81.8%Enrollment1,267Net price$51,248View data - New York
Pratt Institute-Main
Grad rate74%Admit rate73.3%Enrollment5,356Net price$52,659View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsRhode Island
Rhode Island School of Design
Grad rate89%Admit rate18.7%Enrollment2,520Net price$50,507View data - Florida
Ringling College of Art and Design
Grad rate72%Admit rate69.7%Enrollment1,666Net price$57,742View data - California
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Grad rate74%Admit rate54.9%Enrollment439Net price$42,607View data - Illinois
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Grad rate67%Admit rate77.5%Enrollment3,394Net price$49,790View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
School of Visual Arts
Grad rate76%Admit rate92.6%Enrollment3,812Net price$57,914View data - New York
The Juilliard School
Grad rate91%Admit rate9.2%Enrollment1,073Net price$43,571View data - Pennsylvania
University of the Arts
Grad rate69%Admit rate78.2%Enrollment—Net price$44,154
Calarts Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The page includes extensive information about cookie consent and usage but does not provide any specific details about the Institutional Effectiveness office at California Institute of the Arts. It mostly outlines how different types of cookies are used on their website for necessary, preference, statistics, marketing, and unclassified purposes.
Visit IR office pageReports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFactbook2026This page is part of the California Institute of the Arts website and includes a variety of sections related to the institution, such as academics, admissions, life at the institute, and more. The page includes various links to different resources, support services, and information about campus life. No specific key metrics or detailed data about the institution's performance or statistics are provided in the given text. The site also contains comprehensive cookie and privacy policy information, indicating its commitment to user privacy and data management.calarts.edu
Grants & funding (2)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of Calarts (10)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Sofia CoppolaFilm
- Catherine OpieArt
- Tim BurtonFilm
- Ed HarrisActing
- Don CheadleActing
- John LasseterFilm
- Genndy TartakovskyAnimation
- Paul ReubensComedy
- Mark BradfordArt
- James MangoldFilm
Frequently asked questions about California Institute of the Arts
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Calarts.
What is the acceptance rate at California Institute of the Arts?
What is the graduation rate at California Institute of the Arts?
How many students attend California Institute of the Arts?
What is the average net price at California Institute of the Arts?
What is the yield rate at California Institute of the Arts?
Where is California Institute of the Arts located?
Who runs Institutional Research at California Institute of the Arts?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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