California Institute of the Arts, also known as CalArts, resides in the city of Valencia, California in Los Angeles County. CalArts was established in 1961 as the first visual and performing arts school in the United States to offer accredited degree programs. The institute is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to grant Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in performing, visual and literary arts.
CalArts was conceived and created by Walt Disney who dreamed of an interdisciplinary institution of higher learning like a traditional university that focused exclusively on the arts. CalArt is considered by many to be the “Caltech” of the arts schools that provides an exceptional learning environment and programs for aspiring artists. At CalArts students are inspired to develop unique and original art in a workshop type environment where they’re able to learn from, as well as mentor, other aspiring artists.
General Information
| General Phone: | (661) 255-1050 |
| Website URL: | www.calarts.edu |
| Type of Institution: | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above |
| Awards Offered: | BA/BS degrees Postbaccalaureate certificate Master’s degree Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship (new classification) |
| Campus setting: | Suburb: Midsize |
| On-campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 1,394 (882 undergraduate) |
| Ratio of students to faculty: | 6 to 1 |
Tuition & Fees
| Estimated Expenses for Academic Year | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
| Tuition and fees | $31,865 | $33,436 | $35,406 | $36,742 | +3.77% |
| Books and Supplies | $1,584 | $1,632 | $1,681 | $1,730 | +2.91% |
| Living Arrangement – On Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $8,991 | $9,592 | $10,178 | $10,300 | +1.20% |
| Other | $4,173 | $4,298 | $4,817 | $4,961 | +2.99% |
| Living Arrangement – Off Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $9,641 | $10,219 | $10,526 | $10,842 | +3.00% |
| Other | $4,018 | $4,420 | $4,553 | $5,209 | +14.41% |
| Total Expenses | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
| In-state On Campus | $46,613 | $48,958 | $52,082 | $53,733 | +3.17% |
| In-state Off Campus | $47,108 | $49,707 | $52,166 | $54,523 | +4.52% |
| In-state with Family | $33,449 | $35,068 | $37,087 | $38,472 | +3.73% |
| Average Graduate School Tuition & Fees | |
| Tuition for In-state Students | $36,166 |
| In-state Student Fees | $576 |
| Tuition for Out-of-state Students | $36,166 |
| Out-of-state Student Fees | $576 |
Financial Aid
| Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students | ||||
| Type of Aid | Students | Percent | Amount | Average Per Student |
| All students financial aid | 133 | 78% | ||
| Grant or scholarship aid | 118 | 69% | $1,401,403 | $11,876 |
| • Federal grants | 42 | 25% | $227,356 | $5,413 |
| • Pell grants | 41 | 24% | $146,981 | $3,585 |
| • Other federal grants | 31 | 18% | $80,375 | $2,593 |
| Local and state government scholarships or grants | 14 | 8% | $98,430 | $7,031 |
| Institutional scholarships or grants | 116 | 68% | $1,075,617 | $9,273 |
| Student loan financial aid | 105 | 61% | $1,099,315 | $10,470 |
| • Federal student loans | 104 | 61% | $703,740 | $6,767 |
| • Other student loans | 20 | 12% | $395,575 | $19,779 |
All Degrees and Programs
| Program Completions for Most Recent Year | BA/BS | Master | Doctor | AA/AS | CERT |
| Grand Total of All Programs | 195 | 196 | – | – | – |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 195 | 196 | – | – | – |
| Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 14 | 28 | – | – | – |
| Dance, General | 12 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Design and Visual Communications, General | 12 | 17 | – | – | – |
| Directing and Theatrical Production | 18 | 17 | – | – | – |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other | 35 | 9 | – | – | – |
| Fine/Studio Arts, General | 16 | 18 | – | – | – |
| Jazz/Jazz Studies | 5 | 11 | – | – | – |
| Music Performance, General | 19 | 12 | – | – | – |
| Music Technology | 5 | – | – | – | – |
| Music Theory and Composition | 9 | 14 | – | – | – |
| Music, General | 8 | – | – | – | – |
| Photography | 16 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Technical Theater/Theater Design and Technology | 23 | 17 | – | – | – |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | – | 41 | – | – | – |
| Voice and Opera | 3 | 2 | – | – | – |
Above data represent first majors only.
(-) Indicates that program is not offered at this award level.
*We do not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.