California College of the Arts vs The University of the Arts (UArts)

California College of the Arts (CCA) and The University of the Arts (UArts) stand out as prominent institutions dedicated to nurturing artistic talents. CCA, located in the vibrant city of San Francisco, boasts a selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 58%, while UArts, situated in the heart of Philadelphia, welcomes a broader range of applicants with an acceptance rate of 85%. Both institutions offer a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with CCA excelling in fine arts, design, and architecture, and UArts renowned for its strengths in music, dance, theater, and film. CCA's student body comprises 1,600 undergraduates and 400 graduate students, while UArts hosts a larger community of 2,000 undergraduates and 500 graduate students. While CCA's graduation rate stands at 68%, UArts reports a graduation rate of 59%. To help you make an informed decision, we present a
California College of the Arts logo

California College of the Arts

The University of the Arts logo

The University of the Arts

Overview

Location San Francisco, California Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 82.0% 87.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 77.6% 85.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $60
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 2,847 1,293
Total number of admissions given out 2,210 1,101
Admitted students who chose to enroll 209 269
Yield rate 9.5% 24.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $73,634 $68,690
Average net price $40,231 $25,932
Tuition $51,792 $48,350
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $13,467

Meal plan: $5,650
Room/dormitory: $11,380

Meal plan: $6,250
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

84.0%
Average amount $28,928
100.0%
Average amount $26,798
Students receiving federal student loan 23.0%
Average amount $5,627
94.0%
Average amount $5,851
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,943
21.0%
Average amount $24,297

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,249
Men 36.3% Women 63.7%
1,397
Men 34.7% Women 65.3%
Graduate students 381
Men 29.9% Women 70.1%
160
Men 28.8% Women 71.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 40.3% 2.8%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 761 582
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Architecture
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Education
  • Communications Technology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 65.4% 68.1%
Dropout rate 34.2% 31.7%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,106
  • Year 2: $77,536
  • Year 3: $105,977
Architecture (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,344
  • Year 2: $50,231
  • Year 3: $66,934
Architecture (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,396
  • Year 2: $56,776
  • Year 3: $61,388
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,949
  • Year 2: $39,860
  • Year 3: $49,787
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,472
  • Year 2: $34,467
  • Year 3: $38,025
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,206
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $37,442
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $16,698
  • Year 2: $30,409
  • Year 3: $23,743
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,560
  • Year 2: $15,552
  • Year 3: $19,229
Design and Applied Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,520
  • Year 2: $86,129
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,170
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,721
  • Year 2: $50,677
  • Year 3: $49,511
Museology/Museum Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,796
  • Year 2: $36,848
  • Year 3: $44,041
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,047
  • Year 2: $21,964
  • Year 3: $30,926
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $18,932
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $29,322
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,815
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $28,945
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,696
  • Year 2: $21,052
  • Year 3: $28,612
Dance (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,267
  • Year 2: $21,613
  • Year 3: $26,673
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $16,297
  • Year 2: $18,771
  • Year 3: $25,853
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,067
  • Year 2: $22,329
  • Year 3: $25,752
Music (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $18,579
  • Year 2: $19,358
  • Year 3: $25,140

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