Manhattan School of Music vs California Institute of the Arts

Manhattan School of Music and California Institute of the Arts, two prestigious institutions renowned for their arts education, offer distinct experiences for aspiring artists. Manhattan School of Music, nestled in the heart of New York City, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 33%, while CalArts, located in Valencia, California, offers a more accessible route with an acceptance rate of 56%. Both schools excel in different areas of study; Manhattan School of Music is known for its classical music programs, while CalArts shines in contemporary arts, animation, and film. Their student bodies reflect these specializations, with Manhattan School of Music's population predominantly comprising music majors and CalArts' encompassing a diverse range of artistic disciplines. While Manhattan School of Music boasts a higher graduation rate of 75%, CalArts' 68% rate is still commendable. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your artistic aspirations.

	California Institute of the Arts	Manhattan School of Music
Overview
Location	Valencia, California	New York, New York
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%	86.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	29.0%	49.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $125 Graduate: $125
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	2,364	1,035
Total number of admissions given out	685	507
Admitted students who chose to enroll	203	121
Yield rate	29.6%	23.9%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$79,792	$72,780
Average net price	$53,916	$42,578
Tuition	$52,850	$49,850
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,040 Meal plan: $5,095	Room/dormitory: $10,790 Meal plan: $5,550
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $18,119	81.0% Average amount $23,606
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $5,615	69.0% Average amount $52,419
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $12,000	11.0% Average amount $27,139

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	965 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%	500 Men 50.8% Women 49.2%
Graduate students	479 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	547 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	75.0%
International students	29.0%	48.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	441	536
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York California Pennsylvania Florida New Jersey

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	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.9%	72.3%
Dropout rate	28.1%	12.5%
Transferred out	N/A	14.3%
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	Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $19,385 Year 2: $24,228 Year 3: $26,210 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,620 Year 2: $13,393 Year 3: $18,735 Music (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,154 Year 3: N/A

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Manhattan School of Music vs California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts

Manhattan School of Music

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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