Emerson Boston vs California Institute of the Arts

Emerson College and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) stand out as two esteemed institutions offering unique educational experiences. Emerson College, nestled in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, is renowned for its strong focus on communication and the arts, while CalArts, located in Valencia, California, is celebrated for its exceptional programs in the performing and visual arts. With acceptance rates of 38% and 32%, respectively, both institutions maintain a selective admissions process. While Emerson boasts a larger student body, CalArts fosters a more intimate learning environment. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California Institute of the Arts	Emerson College
Overview
Location	Valencia, California	Boston, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	94.0%	87.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	29.0%	45.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	N/A	1200 - 1400
ACT range	N/A	28 - 32
Students submitting SAT score		28.0%
Students submitting ACT score		12.0%
Total number of applicants	2,364	11,568
Total number of admissions given out	685	5,238
Admitted students who chose to enroll	203	1,058
Yield rate	29.6%	20.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not 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	$73,450
Average net price	$53,916	$48,842
Tuition	$52,850	$51,264
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,040 Meal plan: $5,095	$19,144
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $18,119	80.0% Average amount $25,433
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $5,615	50.0% Average amount $5,314
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $12,000	13.0% Average amount $28,643

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	965 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%	4,117 Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
Graduate students	479 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	1,783 Men 12.4% Women 87.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	29.0%	12.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	441	2,583
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California New York New Jersey Connecticut Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies	Visual & Performing Arts Health Professions Communication and Journalism English Language and Literature Education
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.9%	78.8%
Dropout rate	28.1%	20.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
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	Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,751 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $62,323 Marketing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,791 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $59,256 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,510 Year 2: $44,327 Year 3: $53,692 Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,045 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $50,740 Publishing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,317 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $48,728 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,632 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $46,462 Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,675 Year 2: $38,953 Year 3: $45,255 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $36,872 Year 2: $40,140 Year 3: $43,252 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,439 Year 2: $28,212 Year 3: $42,141 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: $41,506

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