California College of ASU
Los Angeles, California · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 14/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
California College of ASU is a tiny nonprofit film school in Los Angeles, scoring 14 in the Below Benchmark tier. The structural problem is the mismatch between cost and outcomes. Tuition is $25,186, net price after aid is $17,683, and four-year total runs $70,732. Ten-year median earnings of $42,014 produce only a 9.9 percent earnings premium over a high-school graduate. Median federal debt is $25,000 and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.929 sits at the edge of unmanageable. Payback runs 30 years. Repayment metrics are especially weak: 33.9 percent at one year, 42.9 percent at three years, climbing to 58.2 percent at seven years - many borrowers struggle to make principal progress even years out. Completion is 37.2 percent. Enrollment is 71 students total. The 46.3 percent Pell rate suggests low-income students taking on this debt for an art-school credential whose labor-market signal is weak. This is a high-risk enrollment with a 1.38 program-level debt-to-earnings ratio.
How California College of ASU scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score14/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate37.2% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period30 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
California College of ASU
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $25,186/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $25,186/yr |
| Average net price | $17,683/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $70,732 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,014 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 30 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 37.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 71 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $25,186/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $17,683/year, or roughly $70,732 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $15,386/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($26,900) and comes to 0.93, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $15,386 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,980 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $15,386 per year net, about $61,500 over four years. Pell ($7,395 max) plus Cal Grant covers a meaningful share, but federal Direct loans still need to fill a substantial gap. Given the negative earnings outcomes for film graduates, this borrowing is high-risk for low-income students who cannot rely on family fallback.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $30,001 to $48,000 pay $19,980 - higher than the under-$30K bracket. The Pell phase-out drives this jump. Higher income brackets are not reported, indicating effectively no enrollment from $48,001 and above. This is concentrated low-income enrollment funded through Pell plus loans.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for $48,001 and higher income brackets is not reported, meaning California College of ASU essentially does not enroll students from middle or upper-middle income families. The student body is overwhelmingly low-income, which is exactly the demographic least able to absorb a film-school credential's earnings risk.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at California College of ASU with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $40,359 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video and Photographic Arts is the entire program at this school with 75 graduates. One-year earnings of $20,483 climb to $40,359 by year four, against $28,334 median debt - a 1.383 debt-to-earnings ratio and F grade. LA's film and entertainment industry is intensely competitive and largely networking-driven.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 33.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 42.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 47.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 58.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How California College of ASU’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 71 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 46.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,132 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and no SAT or ACT mid-ranges are available. Selectivity is essentially self-selection through the application process; meaningful gatekeeping appears absent.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| California College of ASU (this school) | 14 | $17,683 | $42,014 |
| Moore College of Art and Design | 18 | $43,086 | $37,839 |
| Maine College of Art & Design | 17 | $38,338 | $40,778 |
| Northwest College of Art & Design | 17 | $16,418 | $31,167 |
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | 14 | $42,454 | $29,881 |
| Montserrat College of Art | 13 | $33,216 | $33,022 |
Who Thrives Here
California College of ASU fits LA-based aspiring filmmakers and photographers seeking a small-cohort program connected to the ASU brand. Enrollment of just 71 students supports a hands-on workshop environment. The 46.3 percent Pell rate suggests substantial low-income enrollment - exactly the population that should be most cautious about $70K total cost for film-school credentials with weak earnings outcomes.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, California College of ASU scores 14/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,683 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,014 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 30 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 37.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 42.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $26,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
California College of ASU: Common Questions
Is California College of ASU worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. California College of ASU scores 14/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,683 a year after aid against $42,014 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 30 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does California College of ASU cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $17,683 a year, or roughly $70,732 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do California College of ASU graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,014 ten years after enrolling, roughly $214 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off California College of ASU?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 30 years for California College of ASU. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do California College of ASU graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $26,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at California College of ASU?
The six-year graduation rate is 37.2%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.