California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California · Private Nonprofit · 91.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 27/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
California College of the Arts, a respected private art and design college in San Francisco, scores 27 out of 100 - the Below Benchmark tier rating that reflects the structural ROI failure of high-priced art education at scale. Sticker tuition is $60,226, and net price is $53,909 - producing a four-year total cost of $215,636. Average earnings six years after entry are $36,200, climbing to a median $49,414 at year ten - modest. Median debt is $27,000 against a 0.746 debt-to-earnings ratio. Payback period is 24.7 years - effectively meaning earnings barely keep pace with cost. The earnings-premium sub-score of 13 (raw 0.067) is the weakest signal - the credential's market value is essentially flat against a high-school baseline. CCA's mission is real - it produces working artists and designers - but the financial-outcome data shows that even at this respected institution the average graduate is in a debt-heavy, slow-payoff position. The single bright spot is Human Computer Interaction, an outlier program with strong tech-industry placement.
How California College of the Arts 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 Score27/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period24.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
California College of the Arts
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $60,226/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $60,226/yr |
| Average net price | $53,909/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $215,636 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,414 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 24.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 61.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 990 |
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: $60,226/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $53,909/year, or roughly $215,636 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 $61,407/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $56,394/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,200) and comes to 0.75, 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 | $61,407 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $43,261 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $45,378 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $46,060 |
| $110,001+ | $56,394 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $61,407 net annually - HIGHER than every other income bracket and higher than the $60,226 sticker tuition. This is a clearly inverted bracket and a serious data point we are flagging. The most likely explanation is that low-income students at CCA are taking on full cost-of-attendance loans (including SF Bay Area room and board) that exceed the institutional tuition figure.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $43,261 - the lowest net price - and the $48,001-$75,000 and $75,001-$110,000 brackets pay $45,378 and $46,060 respectively. Four-year cost runs $173,000-$184,000 across mid brackets. Even at the most-discounted middle-income tier, the math is harsh against $36,200 average earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $56,394 net per year - four-year cost approaches $226,000, near sticker. Institutional aid is essentially absent at this tier.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at California College of the Arts with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $59,238 | D |
| Graphic Communications | $31,068 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $44,012 | F |
| Human Computer Interaction | $149,149 | B+ |
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.
Human Computer Interaction
HCI is the standout outlier ROI program at CCA: 29 graduates with $101,801 first-year earnings rising to $149,149 by year four, $27,125 median debt, and an exceptional 0.266 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a B+ grade. Bay Area tech employers (Google, Meta, Apple, Adobe) absorb HCI graduates at premium UX-designer salaries. For the rare student admitted who can succeed in this track, CCA pencils out. For everyone else, the school's other programs do not.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts produces 84 graduates - the largest cohort - with $28,673 first-year earnings, $59,238 by year four, $27,000 median debt, and a 0.942 ratio for a D grade. SF Bay Area design markets are competitive and saturated.
Graphic Communications
Graphic Communications produces 46 graduates with $26,481 first-year earnings, just $31,068 by year four, $27,000 median debt, and a 1.02 debt-to-earnings ratio earning an F grade. The earnings trajectory is flat through year four. Students drawn to this field should consider community-college design programs or self-directed portfolio work first.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts produces 45 graduates with $17,690 first-year earnings, $44,012 by year four, $29,250 median debt, and a 1.653 debt-to-earnings ratio earning an F. Students drawn to this path at CCA should plan for graduate school, established gallery representation, or substantial parallel income to make the math work.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 71.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 73.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How California College of the Arts’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
| Acceptance rate | 91.1% |
| Enrollment | 990 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 25.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,785 |
Admission rate is 91.1%. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported. Students arriving with strong portfolio preparation and clear creative direction are most likely to capture the school's strongest outcomes (HCI, design tracks).
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| California College of the Arts (this school) | 27 | $53,909 | $49,414 |
| School of Visual Arts | 30 | $57,914 | $46,459 |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | 29 | $42,729 | $45,212 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | 29 | $24,100 | $43,582 |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | 27 | $57,742 | $43,325 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 26 | $49,430 | $45,954 |
Who Thrives Here
CCA fits a specific student: someone with strong portfolio prep who specifically wants the SF Bay Area art-and-design ecosystem and is committed to a career in the creative industries. Pell rate is 25.09% - middle-class skew with enrollment of 990 enabling intimate studio instruction. The student profile that captures the strongest ROI: someone targeting Human Computer Interaction (which feeds into Bay Area UX/product-design roles at premium salaries) or who has a clear plan for graphic-design or industrial-design roles in tech. Students drawn to fine-arts or graphic-communications tracks face long odds on financial outcomes.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, California College of the Arts scores 27/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $53,909 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $49,414 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.7 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75. 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 the Arts: Common Questions
Is California College of the Arts worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. California College of the Arts scores 27/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $53,909 a year after aid against $49,414 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does California College of the Arts 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 $53,909 a year, or roughly $215,636 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 the Arts graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,414 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,614 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 the Arts?
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 24.7 years for California College of the Arts. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do California College of the Arts graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $36,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75. 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 the Arts?
The six-year graduation rate is 61.2%. 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.