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California Institute of the Arts

Basic Information

Type Private
Geographical Reach National
Population 5,500,000
United States map with state borders, rivers, lakes, and Alaska and Hawaii insets
Valencia, CA

Weather

Comfortable Days 135 (97% 😎)
Sunshine Hours 3,300 (96% ☀️)
Days Without Precipitation 327 (98% 🏖️)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 873
Men / Women 40% / 60%
From State 49%
From Region 5%

Racial/Ethnic

White 32%
International 26%
Hispanic 17%
Asian 10%
Mixed 7%
Black 5%
Native American 0%

Men in the Entering Class

0% 15% 30% 45% 60% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2011 Men: 44.4% 44.4% 2012 Men: 44.4% 44.4% 2013 Men: 41.9% 41.9% 2014 Men: 36.9% 36.9% 2015 Men: 39.9% 39.9% 2016 Men: 49.3% 49.3% 2017 Men: 42.3% 42.3% 2018 Men: 41.9% 41.9% 2019 Men: 40.5% 40.5% 2020 Men: 38.9% 38.9% 2021 Men: 41.2% 41.2% 2022 Men: 37.2% 37.2% 2023 Men: 30.9% 30.9% 2024 Men: 41.5% 41.5% 2025 Men: 32.8% 32.8%

Men as a share of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates. Fall enrollment through 2019; 12-month enrollment from 2020 (dashed line). 2025 covers 2024–25. Changes across 2020 may reflect the reporting period.

Entering Class by Race & Ethnicity

0% 15% 30% 45% 60% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2011 Native: 1.5% 1.5% 2012 Native: 1.7% 1.7% 2013 Native: 1.7% 1.7% 2014 Native: 1.1% 1.1% 2015 Native: 0.5% 0.5% 2016 Native: 1.0% 1.0% 2017 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2018 Native: 1.4% 1.4% 2019 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2020 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2021 Native: 0.6% 0.6% 2022 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2023 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2024 Native: 0.6% 0.6% 2025 Native: 0.0% 0.0% 2011 Asian: 6.8% 6.8% 2012 Asian: 12.2% 12.2% 2013 Asian: 12.2% 12.2% 2014 Asian: 20.9% 20.9% 2015 Asian: 16.6% 16.6% 2016 Asian: 12.2% 12.2% 2017 Asian: 9.4% 9.4% 2018 Asian: 9.8% 9.8% 2019 Asian: 8.8% 8.8% 2020 Asian: 8.8% 8.8% 2021 Asian: 6.2% 6.2% 2022 Asian: 8.5% 8.5% 2023 Asian: 9.6% 9.6% 2024 Asian: 4.5% 4.5% 2025 Asian: 10.4% 10.4% 2011 Black: 9.0% 9.0% 2012 Black: 6.7% 6.7% 2013 Black: 7.6% 7.6% 2014 Black: 9.6% 9.6% 2015 Black: 4.7% 4.7% 2016 Black: 6.3% 6.3% 2017 Black: 3.8% 3.8% 2018 Black: 3.3% 3.3% 2019 Black: 6.0% 6.0% 2020 Black: 6.5% 6.5% 2021 Black: 4.4% 4.4% 2022 Black: 4.0% 4.0% 2023 Black: 6.4% 6.4% 2024 Black: 5.7% 5.7% 2025 Black: 9.3% 9.3% 2011 Hispanic: 12.8% 12.8% 2012 Hispanic: 10.6% 10.6% 2013 Hispanic: 8.7% 8.7% 2014 Hispanic: 17.1% 17.1% 2015 Hispanic: 14.0% 14.0% 2016 Hispanic: 12.2% 12.2% 2017 Hispanic: 15.0% 15.0% 2018 Hispanic: 15.3% 15.3% 2019 Hispanic: 11.6% 11.6% 2020 Hispanic: 11.6% 11.6% 2021 Hispanic: 11.2% 11.2% 2022 Hispanic: 14.1% 14.1% 2023 Hispanic: 14.9% 14.9% 2024 Hispanic: 12.5% 12.5% 2025 Hispanic: 19.1% 19.1% 2011 White: 47.4% 47.4% 2012 White: 37.8% 37.8% 2013 White: 39.5% 39.5% 2014 White: 37.4% 37.4% 2015 White: 52.8% 52.8% 2016 White: 41.5% 41.5% 2017 White: 43.2% 43.2% 2018 White: 43.7% 43.7% 2019 White: 39.1% 39.1% 2020 White: 38.9% 38.9% 2021 White: 36.2% 36.2% 2022 White: 29.6% 29.6% 2023 White: 33.5% 33.5% 2024 White: 33.5% 33.5% 2025 White: 29.0% 29.0% 2011 International: 12.0% 12.0% 2012 International: 17.2% 17.2% 2013 International: 14.0% 14.0% 2014 International: 0.0% 0.0% 2015 International: 0.0% 0.0% 2016 International: 13.7% 13.7% 2017 International: 19.7% 19.7% 2018 International: 15.8% 15.8% 2019 International: 27.0% 27.0% 2020 International: 26.9% 26.9% 2021 International: 30.0% 30.0% 2022 International: 29.1% 29.1% 2023 International: 27.1% 27.1% 2024 International: 30.1% 30.1% 2025 International: 24.0% 24.0%

Share of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates. Two or more races and race unknown are omitted, so the lines do not sum to 100%. Fall enrollment through 2019; 12-month enrollment from 2020 (dashed line). 2025 covers 2024–25. Changes across 2020 may reflect the reporting period.

Enrolled Undergraduates

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2011 Total: 892 892 2012 Total: 933 933 2013 Total: 974 974 2014 Total: 937 937 2015 Total: 936 936 2016 Total: 935 935 2017 Total: 953 953 2018 Total: 990 990 2019 Total: 1,005 1,005 2020 Total: 1,023 1,023 2021 Total: 698 698 2022 Total: 923 923 2023 Total: 927 927 2024 Total: 904 904 2025 Total: 873 873 2011 Men: 426 426 2012 Men: 439 439 2013 Men: 452 452 2014 Men: 398 398 2015 Men: 374 374 2016 Men: 391 391 2017 Men: 417 417 2018 Men: 446 446 2019 Men: 447 447 2020 Men: 454 454 2021 Men: 304 304 2022 Men: 384 384 2023 Men: 355 355 2024 Men: 366 366 2025 Men: 350 350 2011 Women: 466 466 2012 Women: 494 494 2013 Women: 522 522 2014 Women: 539 539 2015 Women: 562 562 2016 Women: 544 544 2017 Women: 536 536 2018 Women: 544 544 2019 Women: 558 558 2020 Women: 569 569 2021 Women: 394 394 2022 Women: 539 539 2023 Women: 572 572 2024 Women: 538 538 2025 Women: 523 523

Full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates across all years of study. Fall enrollment through 2019; 12-month enrollment from 2020 (dashed line). 2025 covers 2024–25. Changes across 2020 may reflect the reporting period.

Enrolled Undergraduates by Race & Ethnicity

0% 15% 30% 45% 60% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2011 Native: 0.9% 0.9% 2012 Native: 1.2% 1.2% 2013 Native: 1.2% 1.2% 2014 Native: 1.3% 1.3% 2015 Native: 1.2% 1.2% 2016 Native: 0.9% 0.9% 2017 Native: 0.5% 0.5% 2018 Native: 0.5% 0.5% 2019 Native: 0.5% 0.5% 2020 Native: 0.6% 0.6% 2021 Native: 0.7% 0.7% 2022 Native: 0.7% 0.7% 2023 Native: 0.3% 0.3% 2024 Native: 0.3% 0.3% 2025 Native: 0.2% 0.2% 2011 Asian: 10.7% 10.7% 2012 Asian: 10.1% 10.1% 2013 Asian: 11.1% 11.1% 2014 Asian: 12.9% 12.9% 2015 Asian: 15.5% 15.5% 2016 Asian: 11.4% 11.4% 2017 Asian: 10.5% 10.5% 2018 Asian: 9.7% 9.7% 2019 Asian: 10.6% 10.6% 2020 Asian: 10.7% 10.7% 2021 Asian: 8.6% 8.6% 2022 Asian: 9.3% 9.3% 2023 Asian: 9.3% 9.3% 2024 Asian: 8.6% 8.6% 2025 Asian: 9.6% 9.6% 2011 Black: 7.2% 7.2% 2012 Black: 6.2% 6.2% 2013 Black: 6.4% 6.4% 2014 Black: 7.0% 7.0% 2015 Black: 6.6% 6.6% 2016 Black: 6.4% 6.4% 2017 Black: 3.7% 3.7% 2018 Black: 3.8% 3.8% 2019 Black: 4.1% 4.1% 2020 Black: 4.0% 4.0% 2021 Black: 5.2% 5.2% 2022 Black: 4.0% 4.0% 2023 Black: 4.3% 4.3% 2024 Black: 4.8% 4.8% 2025 Black: 5.4% 5.4% 2011 Hispanic: 10.7% 10.7% 2012 Hispanic: 12.2% 12.2% 2013 Hispanic: 11.1% 11.1% 2014 Hispanic: 13.7% 13.7% 2015 Hispanic: 14.7% 14.7% 2016 Hispanic: 13.9% 13.9% 2017 Hispanic: 15.2% 15.2% 2018 Hispanic: 14.6% 14.6% 2019 Hispanic: 13.4% 13.4% 2020 Hispanic: 13.6% 13.6% 2021 Hispanic: 13.9% 13.9% 2022 Hispanic: 13.8% 13.8% 2023 Hispanic: 14.1% 14.1% 2024 Hispanic: 14.8% 14.8% 2025 Hispanic: 17.4% 17.4% 2011 White: 52.6% 52.6% 2012 White: 45.9% 45.9% 2013 White: 43.5% 43.5% 2014 White: 39.7% 39.7% 2015 White: 41.6% 41.6% 2016 White: 40.1% 40.1% 2017 White: 41.4% 41.4% 2018 White: 42.6% 42.6% 2019 White: 40.3% 40.3% 2020 White: 40.5% 40.5% 2021 White: 38.0% 38.0% 2022 White: 37.4% 37.4% 2023 White: 35.9% 35.9% 2024 White: 34.1% 34.1% 2025 White: 31.7% 31.7% 2011 International: 9.5% 9.5% 2012 International: 12.8% 12.8% 2013 International: 12.7% 12.7% 2014 International: 9.6% 9.6% 2015 International: 6.9% 6.9% 2016 International: 15.4% 15.4% 2017 International: 17.8% 17.8% 2018 International: 18.4% 18.4% 2019 International: 21.0% 21.0% 2020 International: 20.6% 20.6% 2021 International: 22.6% 22.6% 2022 International: 24.6% 24.6% 2023 International: 27.4% 27.4% 2024 International: 27.0% 27.0% 2025 International: 25.7% 25.7%

Share of full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates across all years of study. Two or more races and race unknown are omitted, so the lines do not sum to 100%. Fall enrollment through 2019; 12-month enrollment from 2020 (dashed line). 2025 covers 2024–25. Changes across 2020 may reflect the reporting period.

IPEDS Fall Enrollment (2011–2019) and 12-month Enrollment (2020–2025). The dashed line at 2020 marks the change in reporting period. Missing reports leave gaps.

Schools & Majors

⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
School of Art 56 36% 38% 7% 2% 14% 34% $40,963 0 -1.10 3 81%
Art 20 — 10% 45% 5% 0% 5% 45% $32,625 4 -1.52 1 79% — — — —
Creative Computing 8 — 100% 75% 0% 0% 0% 25% $45,922 20 -0.66 4 — — — — —
Graphic Design 15 — 40% 20% 7% 0% 20% 33% $44,116 7 -1.24 4 — — — — —
Photography and Media 13 — 31% 23% 15% 8% 31% 23% $47,104 22 -0.58 5 83% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
School of Dance 15 20% 60% 13% 7% 0% 20% $36,717 0 -0.85 2 90%
Dance 15 — 20% 60% 13% 7% 0% 20% $36,717 14 -0.85 2 90% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
School of Film/Video 74 35% 24% 14% 1% 12% 39% $45,291 0 -0.64 4 83%
Animation 58 — 33% 21% 17% 2% 12% 38% $44,792 16 -0.74 4 — — — — —
Film/Video 16 — 44% 38% 0% 0% 12% 44% $47,104 41 -0.28 5 83% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
School of Music 41 71% 54% 7% 5% 20% 10% $40,294 0 -0.69 2 82%
Ethnomusicology — — — — — — — — $40,294 15 -0.69 2 82% — — — —
Jazz 7 — 100% 43% 0% 0% 57% 0% $40,294 15 -0.69 2 82% — — — —
Music 14 — 64% 50% 14% 7% 7% 14% $40,294 15 -0.69 2 82% — — — —
Music Composition 13 — 62% 62% 8% 0% 15% 15% $40,294 15 -0.69 2 82% — — — —
Music Performance 7 — 71% 57% 0% 14% 14% 0% $40,294 15 -0.69 2 82% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
School of Theater 54 43% 50% 2% 0% 13% 19% $40,286 0 -0.37 2 98%
Acting 33 — 48% 55% 0% 0% 15% 12% $40,277 34 -0.37 2 98% — — — —
Theater Design 20 — 35% 45% 5% 0% 10% 25% $40,277 34 -0.37 2 98% — — — —
Theater Management — — — — — — — — $40,735 35 -0.31 2 — — — — —
Visual and Performing Arts 1 — 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% $40,806 36 -0.30 2 — — — — —

Financial

Tuition & Fees $63,684
ROI Percentile 3th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 82%
4-Year Graduation Rate 42%
6-Year Graduation Rate 67%
Transfer-Out Rate 17%

Six-Year Graduation Rate

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Graduated: 65.2% 65.2% 2012 Graduated: 55.1% 55.1% 2013 Graduated: 57.5% 57.5% 2014 Graduated: 70.2% 70.2% 2015 Graduated: 56.2% 56.2% 2016 Graduated: 66.2% 66.2% 2017 Graduated: 66.9% 66.9% 2018 Graduated: 56.4% 56.4% 2019 Graduated: 61.4% 61.4% 2020 Graduated: 66.5% 66.5% 2021 Graduated: 71.9% 71.9% 2022 Graduated: 63.8% 63.8% 2023 Graduated: 64.2% 64.2% 2024 Graduated: 66.7% 66.7%

Students finishing within 150% of normal time. Each year labels the cohort that entered six years earlier — 2024 tracks the class that started in 2018.

Six-Year Graduation Rate by Gender

0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Men: 49.3% 2012 Men: 48.2% 2013 Men: 57.6% 2014 Men: 57.0% 2015 Men: 60.3% 2016 Men: 64.8% 2017 Men: 66.1% 2018 Men: 48.1% 2019 Men: 56.2% 2020 Men: 62.3% 2021 Men: 66.7% 2022 Men: 61.2% 2023 Men: 62.1% 2024 Men: 57.4% 2011 Women: 82.1% 2012 Women: 63.0% 2013 Women: 57.4% 2014 Women: 81.5% 2015 Women: 52.9% 2016 Women: 67.5% 2017 Women: 67.6% 2018 Women: 63.0% 2019 Women: 65.3% 2020 Women: 68.9% 2021 Women: 74.8% 2022 Women: 66.3% 2023 Women: 65.6% 2024 Women: 72.9%

IPEDS reports the cohort as men and women only.

Six-Year Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity

0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Asian: 80.0% 2012 Asian: 33.3% 2013 Asian: 63.6% 2014 Asian: 100.0% 2015 Asian: 68.8% 2016 Asian: 86.7% 2017 Asian: 77.8% 2018 Asian: 50.0% 2019 Asian: 90.5% 2020 Asian: 76.9% 2021 Asian: 73.3% 2022 Asian: 58.3% 2023 Asian: 69.6% 2024 Asian: 81.8% 2011 Black: 73.3% 2012 Black: 41.2% 2013 Black: 55.6% 2014 Black: 58.3% 2015 Black: 60.0% 2016 Black: 66.7% 2017 Black: 66.7% 2018 Black: 50.0% 2019 Black: 53.8% 2020 Black: 61.1% 2021 Black: 75.0% 2022 Black: 50.0% 2023 Black: 57.1% 2024 Black: 42.9% 2011 Hispanic: 46.7% 2012 Hispanic: 33.3% 2013 Hispanic: 68.8% 2014 Hispanic: 58.8% 2015 Hispanic: 47.8% 2016 Hispanic: 80.0% 2017 Hispanic: 57.9% 2018 Hispanic: 73.7% 2019 Hispanic: 60.0% 2020 Hispanic: 61.3% 2021 Hispanic: 81.0% 2022 Hispanic: 68.0% 2023 Hispanic: 54.8% 2024 Hispanic: 52.9% 2011 White: 65.1% 2012 White: 60.6% 2013 White: 56.2% 2014 White: 66.7% 2015 White: 49.4% 2016 White: 78.4% 2017 White: 62.5% 2018 White: 53.6% 2019 White: 50.0% 2020 White: 64.2% 2021 White: 72.9% 2022 White: 63.4% 2023 White: 55.2% 2024 White: 68.3% 2011 International: 50.0% 2012 International: 72.7% 2013 International: 57.1% 2014 International: 92.3% 2015 International: 77.8% 2016 International: 80.0% 2017 International: 81.2% 2018 International: 69.0% 2019 International: 82.6% 2020 International: 74.1% 2021 International: 79.2% 2022 International: 82.1% 2023 International: 79.5% 2024 International: 76.7%

Each group's completers over its own share of the entering cohort. Groups making up less than 2% of everyone this college graduated over the period are left off — their rates swing on a handful of students and read as noise.

IPEDS Graduation Rates survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

⇅ % Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn
Arts 100.0% 240 42% 40% 8% 2% 13% 27% $41,766 12 -0.71 3 88% —

Research

⇅ Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Humanities & Social Sciences — — — — 3 #297 — —
Agriculture & Food Science — — — — — — — —
Business & Economics — — — — — — — —
Computer Science — — — — — — — —
Education — — — — — — — —
Engineering — — — — — — — —
Health Sciences — — — — — — — —
Life & Natural Sciences — — — — — — — —
Physical Sciences & Math — — — — — — — —
Total — — — — 3 #533 — —

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Admissions

Uses Common App No
Acceptance Rate 32%
Yield (non-ED) 28%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 32% 32% 32%

This college’s Common Data Set does not break down admissions by applicant demographics, so in-state, out-of-state, and international applicants share one Regular Decision rate.

Acceptance & Yield

0% 15% 30% 45% 60% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Acceptance: 26.9% 26.9% 2012 Acceptance: 24.7% 24.7% 2013 Acceptance: 29.9% 29.9% 2014 Acceptance: 24.4% 24.4% 2015 Acceptance: 24.9% 24.9% 2016 Acceptance: 23.6% 23.6% 2017 Acceptance: 24.1% 24.1% 2018 Acceptance: 23.0% 23.0% 2019 Acceptance: 25.3% 25.3% 2020 Acceptance: 27.4% 27.4% 2021 Acceptance: 29.0% 29.0% 2022 Acceptance: 24.8% 24.8% 2023 Acceptance: 26.0% 26.0% 2024 Acceptance: 32.3% 32.3% 2011 Yield: 42.8% 42.8% 2012 Yield: 46.0% 46.0% 2013 Yield: 46.7% 46.7% 2014 Yield: 35.4% 35.4% 2015 Yield: 35.9% 35.9% 2016 Yield: 38.6% 38.6% 2017 Yield: 43.1% 43.1% 2018 Yield: 40.3% 40.3% 2019 Yield: 37.7% 37.7% 2020 Yield: 24.8% 24.8% 2021 Yield: 29.6% 29.6% 2022 Yield: 36.0% 36.0% 2023 Yield: 33.7% 33.7% 2024 Yield: 27.9% 27.9%

Applicants, Admitted & Enrolled

0 1,250 2,500 3,750 5,000 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2011 Applicants: 3,886 3,886 2012 Applicants: 1,582 1,582 2013 Applicants: 1,230 1,230 2014 Applicants: 2,162 2,162 2015 Applicants: 2,158 2,158 2016 Applicants: 2,258 2,258 2017 Applicants: 2,265 2,265 2018 Applicants: 2,333 2,333 2019 Applicants: 2,267 2,267 2020 Applicants: 2,254 2,254 2021 Applicants: 2,364 2,364 2022 Applicants: 2,120 2,120 2023 Applicants: 2,023 2,023 2024 Applicants: 2,004 2,004 2011 Admitted: 1,046 1,046 2012 Admitted: 391 391 2013 Admitted: 368 368 2014 Admitted: 528 528 2015 Admitted: 538 538 2016 Admitted: 533 533 2017 Admitted: 545 545 2018 Admitted: 536 536 2019 Admitted: 573 573 2020 Admitted: 618 618 2021 Admitted: 685 685 2022 Admitted: 525 525 2023 Admitted: 525 525 2024 Admitted: 648 648 2011 Enrolled: 448 448 2012 Enrolled: 180 180 2013 Enrolled: 172 172 2014 Enrolled: 187 187 2015 Enrolled: 193 193 2016 Enrolled: 206 206 2017 Enrolled: 235 235 2018 Enrolled: 216 216 2019 Enrolled: 216 216 2020 Enrolled: 153 153 2021 Enrolled: 203 203 2022 Enrolled: 189 189 2023 Enrolled: 177 177 2024 Enrolled: 181 181

IPEDS Admissions survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.

Standardized Tests

Test Policy optional