Columbia College vs California Institute of the Arts

Columbia College Chicago and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) stand out as two esteemed institutions offering specialized programs in the arts. While both share a commitment to nurturing creative talent, they differ in several key aspects. Columbia College Chicago boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring artists. CalArts, on the other hand, is known for its rigorous admissions process, resulting in a highly selective student body. In terms of popular majors, Columbia College Chicago excels in fields like Cinema and Television Arts, Music, and Photography, while CalArts is renowned for its programs in Film/Video, Dance, and Theater. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, graduation rates, student demographics, and more, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your artistic aspirations and academic goals.

	California Institute of the Arts	Columbia College Chicago
Overview
Location	Valencia, California	Chicago, Illinois
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	94.0%	62.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	29.0%	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	2,364	7,218
Total number of admissions given out	685	6,903
Admitted students who chose to enroll	203	1,696
Yield rate	29.6%	24.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not 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	$79,792	$48,698
Average net price	$53,916	$25,262
Tuition	$52,850	$26,610
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,040 Meal plan: $5,095	$16,456
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $18,119	99.0% Average amount $20,992
Students receiving federal student loan	26.0% Average amount $5,615	94.0% Average amount $6,068
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $12,000	6.0% Average amount $19,315

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	965 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%	6,493 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
Graduate students	479 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%	243 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	46.1%
International students	29.0%	4.0%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	441	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 English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology Communication and Journalism English Language and Literature Business
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.9%	50.9%
Dropout rate	28.1%	48.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $24,469 Year 2: $32,563 Year 3: $36,735 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $14,239 Year 2: $23,456 Year 3: $29,527 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $29,030 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,555 Year 2: $22,420 Year 3: $28,984 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,629 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $28,791 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,992 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $22,579 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $15,918 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $21,662 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $26,425 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $21,635 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,773 Year 2: $15,182 Year 3: N/A Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,840 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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Columbia College vs California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts

Columbia College Chicago

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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