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
Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
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
- 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.
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% | — | 1,277 | $47,183 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
American Musical and Dramatic Academy | 52% | 24.5% | 1,452 | $41,019 | — |
Art Center College of Design | 79% | 74.5% | 2,308 | $50,209 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
California College of the Arts | 61% | 91.1% | 1,308 | $42,168 | — |
Manhattan School of Music | 78% | 40.8% | 1,084 | $47,599 | — |
Maryland Institute College of Art | 72% | 76.8% | 1,687 | $38,429 | — |
Minneapolis College of Art and Design | 51% | 48.5% | 831 | $25,935 | — |
Otis College of Art and Design | 66% | 81.8% | 1,267 | $45,864 | — |
Pratt Institute-Main | 74% | 73.3% | 5,356 | $50,647 | — |
Rhode Island School of Design | 89% | 18.7% | 2,520 | $46,253 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Ringling College of Art and Design | 72% | 69.7% | 1,666 | $55,390 | — |
San Francisco Conservatory of Music | 74% | 54.9% | 439 | $42,448 | — |
School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 67% | 77.5% | 3,394 | $49,822 | — |
School of Visual Arts | 76% | 92.6% | 3,812 | $58,628 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
The Juilliard School | 91% | 9.2% | 1,073 | $37,903 | — |
University of the Arts | 69% | 78.2% | — | $44,154 | — |
| Peer group median | 72% | 73.3% | 1,452 | $46,059 |
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 (3)
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
- Strategic planShaping CalArts Future2021The strategic framework 'Shaping CalArts Future' outlines a bold vision for the institution's next 50 years, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to arts education. Key pillars include maximizing the educational experience, removing access barriers, and ensuring long-term institutional sustainability. The plan consists of seven strategic goals focusing on sustainability, inclusivity, and expansion of CalArts' reach and impact both locally and globally.strategicframework.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 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?
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