Columbia College vs California College of the Arts

Columbia College Chicago and California College of the Arts, two esteemed institutions with distinct offerings, invite prospective students to embark on a journey of comparison. Columbia, rooted in the heart of Chicago's vibrant arts scene, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from across the globe. California College of the Arts, nestled in the creative hub of San Francisco, stands out with its lower acceptance rate, attracting a more selective cohort. While both institutions excel in the arts, Columbia offers a broader range of programs, including business, communications, and education, while California College of the Arts specializes in fine arts, design, and architecture. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover further distinctions in graduation rates, popular majors, and student demographics, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California College of the Arts	Columbia College Chicago
Overview
Location	San Francisco, California	Chicago, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	82.0%	62.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	77.6%	95.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $60
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	2,847	7,218
Total number of admissions given out	2,210	6,903
Admitted students who chose to enroll	209	1,696
Yield rate	9.5%	24.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$73,634	$48,698
Average net price	$40,231	$25,262
Tuition	$51,792	$26,610
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $13,467 Meal plan: $5,650	$16,456
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	84.0% Average amount $28,928	99.0% Average amount $20,992
Students receiving federal student loan	23.0% Average amount $5,627	94.0% Average amount $6,068
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $27,943	6.0% Average amount $19,315

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,249 Men 36.3% Women 63.7%	6,493 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
Graduate students	381 Men 29.9% Women 70.1%	243 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	46.1%
International students	40.3%	4.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	761	2,158
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Illinois Indiana Michigan Minnesota Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology Architecture Multidisciplinary Studies Computer and Information Science	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology Communication and Journalism English Language and Literature Business
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	65.4%	50.9%
Dropout rate	34.2%	48.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,106 Year 2: $77,536 Year 3: $105,977 Architecture (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,344 Year 2: $50,231 Year 3: $66,934 Architecture (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,396 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $61,388 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,949 Year 2: $39,860 Year 3: $49,787 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $31,472 Year 2: $34,467 Year 3: $38,025 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,206 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $37,442 Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,698 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $23,743 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,560 Year 2: $15,552 Year 3: $19,229 Design and Applied Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,520 Year 2: $86,129 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $123,170 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,418 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $48,304 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,500 Year 2: $36,124 Year 3: $46,919 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $32,614 Year 2: $41,789 Year 3: $41,739 Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,521 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $41,719 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,175 Year 2: $40,355 Year 3: $41,194 Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,857 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,498 American Sign Language (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,692 Year 2: $35,330 Year 3: $38,260 Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,841 Year 2: $30,635 Year 3: $37,241 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,669 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $37,111 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,065 Year 2: $29,737 Year 3: $36,271

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