Private (nonprofit)

Southern California Institute of Architecture

Los Angeles, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·sciarc.edu

Southern California Institute of Architecture's acceptance rate is 76.6% (2024). Its six-year graduation rate is 71% and its four-year rate is 0% (2024). Tuition and fees are $56,162 (2024). Fall enrollment is 418 students, and 536 enrolled over the full 12-month year (2024). Source: IPEDS.

Acceptance
76.6%
-2.0pp vs peer
6-yr graduation
71%
+10.0pp vs peer
Total enrollment
418
peer median 346
Avg net price
$43,923
+$24k vs peer
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeDocumentsAlumni

About

The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is a private Architecture school in the in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1972, SCI-Arc was initially regarded as both institutionally and artistically avant-garde. It currently enrolls approximately 600 students and employs 80 faculty members, some of whom are professional architects. The school is located in the quarter-mile long (0.40 km) former Santa Fe Freight Depot in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. SCI-Arc also offers community events, such as outreach programs, free exhibitions, and public lectures.

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
Applied
748
748 candidates competed
Admitted
573
76.6% acceptance rate
Enrolled
40
7.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
71%
4-year graduation
0%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
71%+10.0pp vs peer
Full-time retention
91%

Pell equity

54.2pp gap
Pell recipients
25%1 of 4
Non-Pell (all)
79%19 of 24
Subsidized loan, no Pell
100%2 of 2
No Federal Aid
77%17 of 22

Non-Pell students graduate at a 54.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

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 9 Title IV programs, 1 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 8 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
9
Passing
1
11.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

9programs
  • Passing1 · 11.1%
  • No Data8 · 88.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
0
No data
8

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.

1
Architecture
Master's Degree · Architecture And Related Services
+23.2%
$78,626 vs $63,816

Debt vs earnings

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

1
Architecture
Master's Degree · Architecture And Related Services
210%
$164,838 debt · $78,626 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1995Next review Jun 2032
PreaccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1991Next review Dec 2016

Action history · 3

  1. Jun 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  2. Jan 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  3. Jun 2016Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission

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$36,824
$30–48k$38,430
$48–75k$66,362
$75–110k—
$110k+—

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

Avg net price (private)
$43,923
+$24,051vs peer median $19,873
Federal loans
23.8%
Tuition and fees
$56,162

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, 57 students received $365K in Pell grants, alongside $4.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
57
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$365K
$364,949 total
Direct Loans
$4.7M
228 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$278K
59 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$231K
51 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$1.3M
50 loan awards
Parent PLUS$1.1M
26 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.7M
42 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 45 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.0%
-2.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
45
Defaulted
0
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.1%
2017
0.0%
2018
1.2%
2019
0.0%
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 Southern California Institute of Architecture

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs5
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

163 total completions
01Architecture
13180.4%
02Comm. Technologies
2314.1%
03Education
53.1%
04Natural Resources
42.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
418
12-mo unduplicated
536
Undergraduate
240
Graduate
296

Gender split

Men
59%314
Women
41%222

Race / ethnicity composition

Non-resident
45.8%
White
17.0%
Hispanic
17.0%
Asian
13.1%
Two or more
4.2%
Black
3.0%

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
0.00
0 offenses · 457 students

3-year trend

17.242 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
9
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

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

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor00

    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)
    40

    Southern California Institute of Architecture vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Southern California Institute of Architecture selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    6-yr gradRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    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
    SubjectSouthern California Institute of Architecture
    		71%76.6%418$43,923—
    American College of the Building Arts
    		55%44.4%155$30,403—
    Ana G. Mendez University
    		Not reportedOpen admission8,378$19,775—
    Antioch University
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry486No freshman cohort—
    Bank Street College of Education
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only719Grad-only—
    College Unbound
    		Too newOpen admission494$21,108—
    Conway School of Landscape Design
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only17Grad-only—
    Epic Bible College & Graduate School
    		0%78.6%98$7,439—
    Future Generations University
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only48Grad-only—
    Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only610Grad-only—
    High Tech High Graduate School of Education
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only99Grad-only—
    Institute of World Politics
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only173Grad-only—
    Martin Luther College
    		72%87.2%878$18,463—
    Reiss-Davis Graduate School
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only35Grad-only—
    Relay Graduate School of Education
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry1,324No freshman cohort—
    Sofia University
    		No freshman cohortNo freshman entry1,145No freshman cohort—
    The Chicago School at Xavier University of Louisiana
    		Grad-onlyGrad-only20Grad-only—
    The School of Architecture
    		Grad-only—8Grad-only—
    University of Fort Lauderdale
    		0%Open admission368$19,965—
    VanderCook College of Music
    		67%89.5%323$19,780—
    Peer group median61%78.6%346$19,873

    Institutions like Southern California Institute of Architecture

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Southern California Institute of Architecture's comparison group.

    IPEDS
    • South Carolina

      American College of the Building Arts

      Grad rate
      55%
      Admit rate
      44.4%
      Enrollment
      155
      Net price
      $30,403
    • Florida

      Ana G. Mendez University

      Grad rate
      Not reported
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      8,378
      Net price
      $19,775
    • Ohio

      Antioch University

      Grad rate
      No freshman cohort
      Admit rate
      No freshman entry
      Enrollment
      486
      Net price
      No freshman cohort
    • New York

      Bank Street College of Education

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      Grad-only
      Enrollment
      719
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • Rhode Island

      College Unbound

      Grad rate
      Too new
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      494
      Net price
      $21,108
    • Massachusetts

      Conway School of Landscape Design

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      Grad-only
      Enrollment
      17
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • California

      Epic Bible College & Graduate School

      Grad rate
      0%
      Admit rate
      78.6%
      Enrollment
      98
      Net price
      $7,439
    • West Virginia

      Future Generations University

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      Grad-only
      Enrollment
      48
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • New Jersey

      Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      Grad-only
      Enrollment
      610
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • California

      High Tech High Graduate School of Education

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      Grad-only
      Enrollment
      99
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • District of Columbia

      Institute of World Politics

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      Grad-only
      Enrollment
      173
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • Minnesota

      Martin Luther College

      Grad rate
      72%
      Admit rate
      87.2%
      Enrollment
      878
      Net price
      $18,463
    • California

      Reiss-Davis Graduate School

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      Grad-only
      Enrollment
      35
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • New York

      Relay Graduate School of Education

      Grad rate
      No freshman cohort
      Admit rate
      No freshman entry
      Enrollment
      1,324
      Net price
      No freshman cohort
    • California

      Sofia University

      Grad rate
      No freshman cohort
      Admit rate
      No freshman entry
      Enrollment
      1,145
      Net price
      No freshman cohort
    • Louisiana

      The Chicago School at Xavier University of Louisiana

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      Grad-only
      Enrollment
      20
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • Arizona

      The School of Architecture

      Grad rate
      Grad-only
      Admit rate
      —
      Enrollment
      8
      Net price
      Grad-only
    • Florida

      University of Fort Lauderdale

      Grad rate
      0%
      Admit rate
      Open admission
      Enrollment
      368
      Net price
      $19,965
    • Illinois

      VanderCook College of Music

      Grad rate
      67%
      Admit rate
      89.5%
      Enrollment
      323
      Net price
      $19,780

    Southern California Institute of Architecture Institutional Research office

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

    Team
    1 member
    • Steven Orizaga
      Institutional Research Analyst

    Reports & documents (1)

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

    Notable alumni of Southern California Institute of Architecture (17)

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

    • Barbara Bestor
      Architecture
    • Sue Courtenay
      Architecture
    • Wanda Dalla Costa
      Architecture
    • Jon Drezner
      Architecture
    • Jeffrey Eyster
      Architecture
    • Todd Fisher
      Architecture
    • Moses Hacmon
      Architecture
    • Shelly Kappe
      Architecture
    • Gordon Kipping
      Architecture
    • Ola-dele Kuku
      Architecture
    • Cara Lee
      Architecture
    • Karen M'Closkey
      Architecture
    Showing 1–12 of 17
    1 / 2

    Frequently asked questions about Southern California Institute of Architecture

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Southern California Institute of Architecture.

    What is the acceptance rate at Southern California Institute of Architecture?

    Southern California Institute of Architecture's acceptance rate is 76.6% (573 admitted from 748 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

    What is the graduation rate at Southern California Institute of Architecture?

    Southern California Institute of Architecture's six-year graduation rate is 71% and its four-year rate is 0%, per 2024 IPEDS data.

    How many students attend Southern California Institute of Architecture?

    Southern California Institute of Architecture reports a total enrollment of 418 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Southern California Institute of Architecture?

    The average net price at Southern California Institute of Architecture is $43,923 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at Southern California Institute of Architecture?

    Southern California Institute of Architecture's yield rate is 7.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is Southern California Institute of Architecture located?

    Southern California Institute of Architecture is located in Los Angeles, California 90013-1822.

    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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