Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) vs American Conservatory Theater

Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) and American Conservatory Theater (ACT) are two esteemed institutions offering specialized education in the arts. CCAD, located in Columbus, Ohio, focuses on visual arts, while ACT, based in San Francisco, California, emphasizes theater and acting. With acceptance rates of 85% and 25%, respectively, CCAD is more accessible, while ACT is highly selective. CCAD's popular majors include Fine Arts, Graphic Design, and Illustration, while ACT's primary focus is on Acting. CCAD boasts a diverse student body, with 45% female and 55% male students, while ACT's student body is predominantly female at 70%. CCAD's graduation rate stands at 65%, while ACT's is slightly lower at 60%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences between these two prestigious institutions.
American Conservatory Theater logo

American Conservatory Theater

Columbus College of Art and Design logo

Columbus College of Art and Design

Overview

Location San Francisco, California Columbus, Ohio
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%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate N/A 94.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $90

Graduate: $90
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $65
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 730
Total number of admissions given out 689
Admitted students who chose to enroll 189
Yield rate 27.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $51,676 $54,496
Average net price $20,726
Tuition $30,235 $36,500
Room & board $11,490
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $24,540
Students receiving federal student loan 68.0%
Average amount $5,502
Students taking out private loans 11.0%
Average amount $16,807

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 11
Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
976
Men 29.8% Women 70.2%
Graduate students 13
Men 46.2% Women 53.8%
24
Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity N/A
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 29.7%
International students N/A N/A
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity N/A 438
First year students are required to live on campus? N/A No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Ohio Pennsylvania Indiana Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation N/A Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 100.0% 59.7%
Dropout rate N/A 40.3%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $18,087
  • Year 3: $27,588
Visual and Performing Arts, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,939
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • Year 3: $37,103
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,261
  • Year 2: $25,936
  • Year 3: $33,599
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,871
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: $30,606
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,466
  • Year 2: $25,525
  • Year 3: $29,653
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,608
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: N/A