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Is California College of the Arts worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for California College of the Arts, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
California College of the Arts lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $53,909 in yearly net price and $27,000 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $49,414. For context, California College of the Arts's net price sits about 119% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school and near the top of its sector range. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$49,945
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $27,108 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $108,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$53,909
Median earnings 10 years out
$49,414
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
62%
At California College of the Arts, a typical graduate carries about $27,000 in student debt and earns roughly $49,414 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $307 per month, or 7% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
California College of the Arts is a private nonprofit four year school in San Francisco, CA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, CA
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $51,248
Private nonprofit 4-year
Pepperdine
Malibu, CA
Worth-It Score: 52/100
Median net price: $58,098
Private nonprofit 4-year
Santa Clara
Santa Clara, CA
Worth-It Score: 80/100
Median net price: $50,062
Private nonprofit 4-year
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, CA
Worth-It Score: 50/100
Median net price: $48,661
Private nonprofit 4-year
Loyola Marymount
Los Angeles, CA
Worth-It Score: 56/100
Median net price: $48,381
Common questions about California College of the Arts
The median net price at California College of the Arts is $53,909 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in California? See the most affordable private colleges in California →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →