California Institute of the Arts vs University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA)

California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) stand out as premier institutions for aspiring artists, each offering a unique blend of academic rigor and creative exploration. While both schools share a commitment to nurturing artistic talent, they differ in several key aspects. CalArts boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating its highly selective admissions process, while UNCSA offers a more accessible route for students seeking a comprehensive arts education. In terms of popular majors, CalArts emphasizes visual and performing arts, while UNCSA offers a broader range of programs, including design and film. Additionally, the student body demographics and graduation rates vary between the two institutions, reflecting their distinct approaches to arts education. To help you make an informed decision about your artistic journey, we present a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more, empowering you to find the institution that best aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	California Institute of the Arts	University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Overview
Location	Valencia, California	Winston Salem, North Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	94.0%	91.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	29.0%	29.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $95 Graduate: $95
SAT range	N/A	1160 - 1380
ACT range	N/A	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score		13.0%
Students submitting ACT score		27.0%
Total number of applicants	2,364	1,321
Total number of admissions given out	685	393
Admitted students who chose to enroll	203	208
Yield rate	29.6%	52.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$79,792	In state: $24,335 Out of state: $41,569
Average net price	$53,916	$12,097
Tuition	$52,850	In state: $6,497 Out of state: $23,731
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,040 Meal plan: $5,095	Room/dormitory: $7,000 Meal plan: $4,502
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $18,119	67.0% Average amount $9,342
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $5,615	53.0% Average amount $5,192
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $12,000	10.0% Average amount $19,452

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	965 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%	938 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%
Graduate students	479 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	181 Men 48.6% Women 51.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	50.7%
International students	29.0%	3.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	441	530
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	North Carolina Florida New York Texas Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies	Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.9%	69.8%
Dropout rate	28.1%	11.1%
Transferred out	N/A	19.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $24,469 Year 2: $32,563 Year 3: $36,735 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $14,239 Year 2: $23,456 Year 3: $29,527 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $29,030 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,555 Year 2: $22,420 Year 3: $28,984 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,629 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $28,791 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,992 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $22,579 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $15,918 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $21,662 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $26,425 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $21,635 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,773 Year 2: $15,182 Year 3: N/A Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,840 Year 3: N/A	Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,014 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $52,882 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,424 Year 2: $32,213 Year 3: $38,341 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,305 Year 2: $22,917 Year 3: $28,769 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,577 Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $22,316 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $21,115 Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: N/A

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California Institute of the Arts vs University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA)

California Institute of the Arts

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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