California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA 990 Undergrads 73.3% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$79,776

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$53,909

After Aid

Median Earnings

$53,517

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$53,909

Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$53,517

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Graduation Rate73.3%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients25.0%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time96.7%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS57.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

91.1%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: --75th: -

SAT Math

25th: --75th: -

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV

Vs Median Peer

Vs HS Grad

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

+$483k

+$16k

-$2k

Median Cost$54k/yr

+$289k

-$178k

-$196k

Full Cost$80k/yr

+$196k

-$271k

-$289k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

Never

-∞

Median Cost$54k/yr

Never

-101%

Full Cost$80k/yr

Never

-101%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-95%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-91%

Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Architectural Sciences and Technology

BachCIP: 0409

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $70,074

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Architecture

BachCIP: 0402

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$89,575

Natl Median: $66,914

Lifetime Value Added

+$72k

Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry

BachCIP: 5002

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $38,992

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Design and Applied Arts

BachCIP: 5004

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$59,238

Natl Median: $51,490

Lifetime Value Added

-$149k

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

BachCIP: 5006

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $43,765

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$44,012

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

-$275k

Graphic Communications

BachCIP: 1003

Median Debt

$26,899

Earnings (4yr)

$31,068

Natl Median: $43,283

Lifetime Value Added

-$387k

Human Computer Interaction

BachCIP: 3031

Median Debt

$27,125

Earnings (4yr)

$149,149

Natl Median: $50,526

Lifetime Value Added

+$536k

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

BachCIP: 2313

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,471

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Woodworking

BachCIP: 4807

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $47,488

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Master's Degrees

Architectural Sciences and Technology

MastCIP: 0409

Median Debt

$67,940

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $77,466

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Architecture

MastCIP: 0402

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$80,251

Natl Median: $74,139

Lifetime Value Added

-$46k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

MastCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$81,257

Earnings (4yr)

$157,122

Natl Median: $103,485

Lifetime Value Added

+$637k

Design and Applied Arts

MastCIP: 5004

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$86,129

Natl Median: $70,073

Lifetime Value Added

+$50k

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

MastCIP: 5006

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,486

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

MastCIP: 5007

Median Debt

$51,870

Earnings (4yr)

$57,717

Natl Median: $49,079

Lifetime Value Added

-$233k

Graphic Communications

MastCIP: 1003

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $57,810

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Computer Interaction

MastCIP: 3031

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $115,403

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Museology/Museum Studies

MastCIP: 3014

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $53,692

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

MastCIP: 2313

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$35,060

Natl Median: $55,035

Lifetime Value Added

-$439k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.