Private (nonprofit)

Otis College of Art and Design

Los Angeles, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·otis.edu
Acceptance
81.8%
+5.0pp vs peer
6-yr Graduation
66%
-3.0pp vs peer
Total enrollment
1,267
peer median 2,520
Avg net price
$51,248
+$741 vs peer
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocumentsAlumni

About

Otis College of Art and Design is a private art and design school in Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is located in the former IBM Aerospace headquarters at 9045 Lincoln Boulevard in Westchester, Los Angeles. The school's programs, accredited by the WSCUC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include BFA and MFA degrees.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
2,549
2,549 candidates competed
Admitted
2,084
81.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
218
10.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
66%-3.0pp vs peer
4-year graduation
50%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
66%
Full-time retention
74%

Pell equity

2.4pp gap
Pell recipients
68%57 of 84
Non-Pell (all)
66%126 of 192
Subsidized loan, no Pell
68%42 of 62
No Federal Aid
65%84 of 130

Pell recipients here graduate at a 2.4-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.

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.

FVT/GE

Of 7 Title IV programs, 3 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 4 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
7
Passing
3
42.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

7programs
  • Passing3 · 42.9%
  • No Data4 · 57.1%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
0
Safe
2
No data
4

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.

3
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+8.1%
$38,997 vs $36,082
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+30.9%
$47,220 vs $36,082
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+54.9%
$55,891 vs $36,082

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

3
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
73%
$28,500 debt · $38,997 earn
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
57%
$27,000 debt · $47,220 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
48%
$27,000 debt · $55,891 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation

Accredited since 1966Next review Jun 2029
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1956Next review Jun 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 3

  1. May 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  2. Jun 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  3. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation · Art and Design (ART) - Degree-granting schools and departments and non-degree-granting programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$44,731
$30–48k$44,821
$48–75k$28,167
$75–110k$52,495
$110k+$60,718

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$51,248
+$741vs peer median $50,507
Federal loans
44.5%
In-state tuition
$56,488
Out-of-state
$56,488

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 523 students received $3.3M in Pell grants, alongside $15.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
523
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.3M
$3,326,484 total
Direct Loans
$15.6M
1,321 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$2.3M
509 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.8M
492 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$420K
21 loan awards
Parent PLUS$10.7M
287 loan awards
Grad PLUS$382K
12 loan awards

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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 261 borrowers who entered repayment, 2 (0.7%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.7%
-1.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
261
Defaulted
2
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.5%
2017
3.0%
2018
2.1%
2019
0.7%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* 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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at OTIS

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs9
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

296 total completions
01Visual/Performing Arts
28897.3%
02Architecture
82.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
1,267
12-mo unduplicated
1,328
Undergraduate
1,271
Graduate
57

Gender split

Men
29%390
Women
71%938

Race / ethnicity composition

White
24.9%
Hispanic
23.4%
Asian
18.7%
Non-resident
18.6%
Two or more
7.0%
Black
6.0%
Unknown
1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.89
5 offenses · 1,284 students

3-year trend

10.382 yrs ago0.001 yr ago3.89Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
18
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
5
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
2
Motor vehicle theft
2
Robbery
1

By location

5total
  • On campus3
  • Public property2

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
3
Stalking
3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs017
Liquor021

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
9.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
54

OTIS vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions OTIS selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

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
SubjectOtis College of Art and Design
66%81.8%1,267$51,248—
Art Center College of Design
79%74.5%2,308$48,661Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
California College of the Arts
61%91.1%1,308$53,909—
California Institute of the Arts
67%32.3%1,277$46,080Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Maryland Institute College of Art
72%76.8%1,687$42,729—
Pratt Institute-Main
74%73.3%5,356$52,659—
Rhode Island School of Design
89%18.7%2,520$50,507Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Savannah College of Art and Design
69%83.0%18,550$49,430Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
67%77.5%3,394$49,790—
School of Visual Arts
76%92.6%3,812$57,914Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
The New School
69%63.5%9,068$58,741R2 Research
Peer group median69%76.8%2,520$50,507

Institutions like OTIS

Explore the federal data for institutions in OTIS's comparison group.

IPEDS

OTIS Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness
Address
9045 Lincoln Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045

The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) develops, conducts, and coordinates research activities, supports institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, assessment and accreditation activities, enrollment management, grants, and related data-driven activities.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Angila Romious, Ph.D.
    Executive Director

Common Data Set

OTIS's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
81.7%
Accessible
Yield
10.5%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
1,267
1,224 UG · 43 grad
6-yr graduation rate
66%
First-year retention
74%
Student–faculty ratio
9 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$57,602
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
2,549
Admitted
2,084
Enrolled
218

2,549 applied → 2,084 admitted (81.7%) → 218 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
81.7%

Accessible — 81.7% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
men76.3%
women83.3%
unknown120.0%

Admit rate varies by gender.

High-school class rank

C10
top tenth16%
top quarter43%
top half76%
bottom half24%
bottom quarter8%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important1
rigor of secondary school record
Considered13
academic GPAapplication essayinterviewextracurricular activitiestalent/abilitycharacter/personal qualitiesfirst generationalumni/ae relationgeographical residencestate residencyvolunteer workwork experiencelevel of applicant’s interest
Not Considered4
class rankstandardized test scoresrecommendationsreligious affiliation/commitment

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$79,520
Tuition
$54,12068%
Fees
$1,0801%
Room & board
$23,23029%
Books
$1,0901%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $79,520 (2025-2026).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$79,520
Net (aided)
$57,602
Avg need grant
$21,918

Sticker $79,520 → about $57,602 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($21,918); 50% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Federal39.5%
State35.0%
Institutional24.2%
External1.3%

24% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
30%
Avg debt
$16,891

30% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $16,891 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
66%
Retention
74%

6-year graduation rate 66%; first-year retention 74%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students66%
Pell recipients68%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 2 pts above the overall rate (68% vs 66%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students40
10-19 students145
20-29 students33
30-39 students4
40-49 students2
50-99 students1
100+ students0

82% of classes have under 20 students; 0% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
9 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
5%
Women faculty
47%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Visual and performing arts96%
Architecture4%

STEM-dominant: ~0% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White24.0%
Hispanic/Latino22.3%
Nonresidents19.6%
Asian19.4%
Two or more races7.3%
Black or African American6.0%
Race unknown1.4%
American Indian0.1%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
197
Share
16%

16% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
1,22497%
Graduate
433%

1,224 undergraduates and 43 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
462
Admitted
405
Enrolled
144

462 transfer applicants → 405 admitted (87.7%) → 144 enrolled

Source publications

Reports & documents (4)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of OTIS (13)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Bas Jan Ader
    Art
  • Carlos Almaraz
    Art
  • John Altoon
    Art
  • Kim Gordon
    Music
  • Edith Head
    Fashion
  • Dorothy Jeakins
    Fashion
  • Philip Guston
    Art
  • David Hammons
    Art
  • Robert Irwin
    Art
  • Kerry James Marshall
    Art
  • Kent Twitchell
    Art
  • Masami Teraoka
    Art
Showing 1–12 of 13
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about Otis College of Art and Design

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about OTIS.

What is the acceptance rate at Otis College of Art and Design?

Otis College of Art and Design's acceptance rate is 81.8% (2,084 admitted from 2,549 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

What is the graduation rate at Otis College of Art and Design?

Otis College of Art and Design reports a 6-year graduation rate of 66% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Otis College of Art and Design?

Otis College of Art and Design reports a total enrollment of 1,267 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Otis College of Art and Design?

The average net price at Otis College of Art and Design is $51,248 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Otis College of Art and Design?

Otis College of Art and Design's yield rate is 10.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Otis College of Art and Design located?

Otis College of Art and Design is located in Los Angeles, California 90045-3505.

Who runs Institutional Research at Otis College of Art and Design?

Otis College of Art and Design's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.

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.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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