About

About California College of the Arts

arts and design focussmall class sizesprivate art collegecareer technical emphasis

California College of the Arts is a community college in San Francisco, CA, known for its arts and design focus, small class sizes, and private art college. With an acceptance rate of 76%, California College of the Arts is accessible for most qualified applicants, typically enrolling around 191 students each year. California College of the Arts is test optional; submitting a strong score can strengthen an application, though it is not required for consideration. California College of the Arts offers merit scholarships regardless of financial need, with awards averaging $39,542 per year; the sticker price of $76,379 may look very different from what your family actually pays.

Admissions

California College of the Arts acceptance rate and admitted student profile

accessible for most qualified applicants

76%
Overall Accept Rate

Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to California College of the Arts

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Application Strategy
Your portfolio carries more weight than your GPA or test scores at CCA, so treat it as the centerpiece of your application and make sure every piece you include shows intentional artistic development, not just technical skill.
Extracurriculars
CCA reviews portfolios by specific program, so tailor your submitted work directly to your intended major, whether that is fashion design, ceramics, or interaction design, rather than submitting a broad general collection.

Get a tailored strategy for California College of the Arts. Build your free list to unlock personalized advice on submitting test scores and discover your actual admission odds based on your student profile.

Build My Free List →

Financial Aid & Cost

What California College of the Arts actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$76k/yr$61.4k
30k-48k~$76k/yr$43.3k
48k-75k~$76k/yr$45.4k
75k-110k~$76k/yr$46.1k
110k+~$76k/yr$56.4k

Not sure what California College of the Arts would cost your family? Build your free SpearMatch list. We show estimated net cost for every college on your list based on your income bracket.

Unlock real pricing for California College of the Arts and matching colleges →

Personalize this page

Compare your profile to California College of the Arts's admitted class

SpearMatch builds a tiered college list from your actual grades, scores, and preferences — and shows where you stand at every college. Free, no account, 4 minutes.

Build My Free List →

✓ Free forever  ·  ✓ No account  ·  ✓ 1,300+ four-year US colleges

Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

59%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$38k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
8:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
1,127
Undergrad Enrollment