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.
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.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
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.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing3 · 42.9%
- No Data4 · 57.1%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
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
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 3
- May 2020Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Jun 2018Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation · Art and Design (ART) - Degree-granting schools and departments and 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, 522 students received $3.3M in Pell grants, alongside $15.6M 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 261 borrowers who entered repayment, 2 (0.7%) 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 OTIS
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
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.
OTIS vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions OTIS 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectOtis College of Art and Design | 66% | — | 1,267 | $45,864 | — |
| 79% | 74.5% | 2,308 | $50,209 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs | |
| 61% | 91.1% | 1,308 | $42,168 | — | |
| 67% | 32.3% | 1,277 | $47,183 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs | |
| 72% | 76.8% | 1,687 | $38,429 | — | |
| 74% | 73.3% | 5,356 | $50,647 | — | |
| 89% | 18.7% | 2,520 | $46,253 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 69% | 83.0% | 18,550 | $45,450 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 67% | 77.5% | 3,394 | $49,822 | — | |
| 76% | 92.6% | 3,812 | $58,628 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 69% | 63.5% | 9,068 | $55,359 | R2 Research | |
| Peer group median | 69% | 75.7% | 2,520 | $47,183 |
Institutions like OTIS
Explore the federal data for institutions in OTIS's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsCalifornia
Art Center College of Design
Grad rate79%Admit rate74.5%Enrollment2,308Net price$50,209View data - California
California College of the Arts
Grad rate61%Admit rate91.1%Enrollment1,308Net price$42,168View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsCalifornia
California Institute of the Arts
Grad rate67%Admit rate32.3%Enrollment1,277Net price$47,183View data - Maryland
Maryland Institute College of Art
Grad rate72%Admit rate76.8%Enrollment1,687Net price$38,429View data - New York
Pratt Institute-Main
Grad rate74%Admit rate73.3%Enrollment5,356Net price$50,647View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsRhode Island
Rhode Island School of Design
Grad rate89%Admit rate18.7%Enrollment2,520Net price$46,253View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsGeorgia
Savannah College of Art and Design
Grad rate69%Admit rate83.0%Enrollment18,550Net price$45,450View data - Illinois
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Grad rate67%Admit rate77.5%Enrollment3,394Net price$49,822View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
School of Visual Arts
Grad rate76%Admit rate92.6%Enrollment3,812Net price$58,628View data - R2 ResearchNew York
The New School
Grad rate69%Admit rate63.5%Enrollment9,068Net price$55,359View data
OTIS Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
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- 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.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C12,549 applied → 2,084 admitted (81.7%) → 218 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Accessible — 81.7% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $79,520 (2025-2026).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $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
H124% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H530% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $16,891 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 66%; first-year retention 74%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 2 pts above the overall rate (68% vs 66%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I382% of classes have under 20 students; 0% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~0% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B216% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B11,224 undergraduates and 43 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D1462 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.
- DashboardDashboardotis.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryInstitutional Research | Otis CollegeThe Institutional Research page at Otis College provides information about the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) and its role in supporting institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, and accountability reporting. It includes data regarding student outcomes, learning assessment, and career outcomes, along with links to external resources.otis.edu
- Strategic planStrategic Plan2025The Otis College of Art and Design's Strategic Plan for 2025-2029 is crafted based on extensive community input. This plan encompasses the creative economy and sustainability as key focus areas. It aims to guide the institution's growth and impact over the next four years with the involvement of all constituencies.otis.edu
Notable alumni of OTIS (13)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Bas Jan AderArt
- Carlos AlmarazArt
- John AltoonArt
- Kim GordonMusic
- Edith HeadFashion
- Dorothy JeakinsFashion
- Philip GustonArt
- David HammonsArt
- Robert IrwinArt
- Kerry James MarshallArt
- Kent TwitchellArt
- Masami TeraokaArt
Frequently asked questions about Otis College of Art and Design
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about OTIS.
What is the graduation rate at Otis College of Art and Design?
How many students attend Otis College of Art and Design?
What is the average net price at Otis College of Art and Design?
What is the yield rate at Otis College of Art and Design?
Where is Otis College of Art and Design located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Otis College of Art and Design?
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