California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California · Private Nonprofit · 32.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 25/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
California Institute of the Arts scores 25 (Below Benchmark) - a very low result driven primarily by a 52.3-year payback period, meaning the median graduate will never earn back the cost of attendance on the Scorecard's earnings model. Average 6-year earnings of $34,200 against a net price of $46,080 and a total 4-year cost of $184,320 produce an unsustainable financial equation for most students. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.731 means graduates owe nearly three-quarters of annual earnings in student loans, on top of potential family contributions. CalArts produces recognized artistic talent in animation, film, theatre, and music, and its alumni network is genuinely influential in the creative industries - but the Scorecard financial data reflects reality: most creative graduates earn modest wages, especially in the first decade after graduation.
How California Institute 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 Score25/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
California Institute of the Arts
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $58,996/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $58,996/yr |
| Average net price | $46,080/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $184,320 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $41,198 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 66.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 860 |
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: $58,996/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $46,080/year, or roughly $184,320 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 $26,686/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $58,873/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 ($34,200) and comes to 0.73, 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 | $26,686 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $40,899 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $51,847 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $38,627 |
| $110,001+ | $58,873 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $26,686 net per year, about $107,000 over four years. Even with financial aid, low-income CalArts students face extreme financial risk given the earnings outcomes. The 24.2% Pell rate means CalArts does enroll a significant number of low-income students who will graduate into difficult financial situations.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $51,847 net per year - the highest net price of any income bracket. This is a data anomaly that suggests CalArts' aid model effectively provides more aid to low-income and high-income families than to middle-income ones. Middle-income families bear the highest cost here.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $58,873 net per year - approximately $235,000 over four years. Families paying full or near-full price for CalArts should understand they are funding an arts education whose earnings premium, per the Scorecard data, is thin.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at California Institute of the Arts with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Music | $40,294 | F |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $41,192 | F |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $29,426 | D |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $28,617 | D |
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.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts (19 graduates) earns $28,617 at year four (no year-one data) with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.943 (ROI grade D) and $27,000 median debt. Studio arts graduates at CalArts enter a competitive LA art market. The $28,617 four-year earnings figure is low and the debt load is high. A degree from CalArts carries prestige in fine art circles, but the financial return is poor by the Scorecard data.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video (28 graduates) earns $28,247 at year one and $29,426 at year four - essentially flat earnings growth in the first several years - with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.956 (ROI grade D) and $27,000 median debt. CalArts film program has notable alumni in animation and avant-garde film, but the Scorecard reflects that most film graduates earn modest wages for years post-graduation. The LA entertainment industry is highly competitive and the earnings ceiling is very uneven.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Drama/Theatre (36 graduates) earns $22,673 at year one with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.191 (ROI grade F) and $27,000 median debt. Theatre graduates owe more than a full year's income at graduation. Most working theatre professionals supplement stage income with other employment for years.
Music
Music (43 graduates) earns $18,896 at year one with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.224 (ROI grade F) and $23,125 median debt. Year-one earnings are near $19k. Music performance and composition graduates at CalArts - like most conservatory graduates - face years of very low wages as they build careers. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.224 means graduates immediately owe more than a year's salary.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 64.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 66.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 70.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How California Institute 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 | 32.3% |
| Enrollment | 860 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 24.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,095 |
A 32.3% acceptance rate with no SAT/ACT data reported in the Scorecard means CalArts screens primarily on portfolio and artistic merit. The admissions process is portfolio-driven - academic credentials are secondary to demonstrated creative work. Applicants who clear the artistic bar should carefully model the financial implications before committing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
CalArts' CampusROI score of 25 reflects, in our view, the mismatch between a $59,000 tuition and earnings outcomes in the creative industries.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Institute of the Arts (this school) | 25 | $46,080 | $41,198 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 71 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| Art Center College of Design | 56 | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
| Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies | 24 | $10,566 | $40,694 |
Who Thrives Here
CalArts admits 32.3% of applicants, making it meaningfully selective in the arts school space. The 860-student enrollment is very small and highly specialized. The 24.2% Pell rate indicates CalArts serves a mixed-income population pursuing professional arts training. This school fits students who have already decided on a specific creative career, have evaluated CalArts' specific alumni outcomes in their discipline, understand the financial risk, and have a plan for managing debt on the income levels CalArts graduates typically earn. It does not fit students making a general arts interest into a major at an expensive institution.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, California Institute of the Arts scores 25/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $46,080 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $41,198 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 0.73 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.9% (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 $34,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73. 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 Institute of the Arts: Common Questions
Is California Institute of the Arts worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. California Institute of the Arts scores 25/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $46,080 a year after aid against $41,198 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does California Institute 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 $46,080 a year, or roughly $184,320 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 Institute of the Arts graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $41,198 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off California Institute 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 more than 50 years for California Institute of the Arts. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do California Institute of the Arts graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $34,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73. 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 Institute of the Arts?
The six-year graduation rate is 66.7%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.