School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs California Institute of the Arts

Envision yourself immersed in a vibrant artistic community, surrounded by creative minds and boundless opportunities. As you embark on your journey to higher education in the arts, two prestigious institutions beckon: the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). While both share a commitment to nurturing artistic talent, they offer distinct experiences that cater to diverse aspirations. SAIC, rooted in the heart of Chicago's dynamic art scene, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate, while CalArts, nestled in the sun-kissed hills of Valencia, California, offers a more diverse student body and a wider range of popular majors. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the nuances of each institution, considering factors such as acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, and discover the perfect fit for your unique artistic aspirations.

	California Institute of the Arts	School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Overview
Location	Valencia, California	Chicago, Illinois
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%	83.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	29.0%	81.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $45
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	5,835
Total number of admissions given out	685	4,725
Admitted students who chose to enroll	203	669
Yield rate	29.6%	14.2%
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	$67,380
Average net price	$53,916	$50,214
Tuition	$52,850	$52,200
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,040 Meal plan: $5,095	Room/dormitory: $13,500 Meal plan: $2,480
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $18,119	93.0% Average amount $20,194
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $5,615	45.0% Average amount $5,504
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $12,000	8.0% Average amount $32,788

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	965 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%	2,795 Men 24.8% Women 75.2%
Graduate students	479 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	764 Men 25.8% Women 74.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	29.0%	30.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	441	990
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 English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies	Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Health Professions Education Architecture
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.9%	65.0%
Dropout rate	28.1%	7.5%
Transferred out	N/A	25.6%
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	Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,981 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: $28,893 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $26,095 Year 2: $22,055 Year 3: $27,442 Architecture (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,707 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,461 Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: N/A Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $27,550 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,246 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: N/A

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