Valencia, CA · Private · 860 undergraduates · suburban
California Institute of the Arts
Selective
CalArts places art, film, animation, dance, music, and theater schools together, encouraging cross-disciplinary work without abandoning specialized professional training.
Institutional profile
Regionally focused Solid in academic standing, and solid in student experience.- Admission
- Audition-led admission
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 71.1%
2,023 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$41,198 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets CalArts apart
Academic design
BFA students pair intensive métier training with substantial Critical Studies coursework covering humanities, social sciences, science, mathematics, and broader cultural context.
Admission process
Applicants apply to a specific program, then complete that program’s portfolio, audition, artistic statement, or other faculty-reviewed requirements alongside the general application.
Defining experience
Six professional arts schools sit together, allowing highly specialized students to collaborate across mediums throughout their degree.
Can I get in?
Audition-led admission
Applicants apply to a specific program, then complete that program’s portfolio, audition, artistic statement, or other faculty-reviewed requirements alongside the general application.
Recent applicant pool
2,023About 26 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Audition and portfolio
The audition or portfolio carries the file. The academic record qualifies the applicant; the performance decides the outcome.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for CalArts, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What CalArts weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Clear the academic baseline
BFA students pair intensive métier training with substantial Critical Studies coursework covering humanities, social sciences, science, mathematics, and broader cultural context.
Complete the specialized assessment
Applicants apply to a specific program, then complete that program’s portfolio, audition, artistic statement, or other faculty-reviewed requirements alongside the general application.
Plan the process early
Program requirements differ substantially; confirm portfolio or audition instructions early, and submit complete materials by the preferred deadline for the lower application fee.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Program requirements differ substantially; confirm portfolio or audition instructions early, and submit complete materials by the preferred deadline for the lower application fee.
$65 application fee
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Performing and visual artsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at CalArts
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. For specialized training, compare those signals with the professional path you intend to follow.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Music
Admits separately
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Admits separately
Graphic Communications
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Admits separately
Fine and Studio Arts
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
CalArts beyond the classroom
All six arts schools share the Valencia campus, concentrating student productions, exhibitions, screenings, concerts, and cross-disciplinary collaborations in one environment.
The academic structure
BFA students pair intensive métier training with substantial Critical Studies coursework covering humanities, social sciences, science, mathematics, and broader cultural context.
The campus rhythm
All six arts schools share the Valencia campus, concentrating student productions, exhibitions, screenings, concerts, and cross-disciplinary collaborations in one environment.
What changes the experience
Six professional arts schools sit together, allowing highly specialized students to collaborate across mediums throughout their degree.