Otis College vs California College of the Arts

Otis College of Art and Design and California College of the Arts (CCA) stand out as two prominent institutions in the realm of art and design education in California. While both colleges share a commitment to fostering creativity and artistic expression, they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. Otis College boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process, while CCA offers a more diverse student body in terms of ethnicity and gender. CCA also excels in graduation rates, with a higher percentage of students completing their degrees within six years. To help you make an informed decision about your artistic journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more, including popular majors, tuition fees, and faculty-to-student ratios. Explore the table to discover which college aligns best with your aspirations and goals.
California College of the Arts logo

California College of the Arts

Otis College of Art and Design logo

Otis College of Art and Design

Overview

Location San Francisco, California Los Angeles, California
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% 78.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 77.6% 79.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
SAT range N/A 1130 - 1360
ACT range N/A 20 - 29
Students submitting SAT score 13.0%
Students submitting ACT score 3.0%
Total number of applicants 2,847 2,284
Total number of admissions given out 2,210 1,823
Admitted students who chose to enroll 209 263
Yield rate 9.5% 14.4%
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 Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $73,634 $70,802
Average net price $40,231 $45,402
Tuition $51,792 $47,700
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $13,467

Meal plan: $5,650
$15,744
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

84.0%
Average amount $28,928
100.0%
Average amount $21,593
Students receiving federal student loan 23.0%
Average amount $5,627
48.0%
Average amount $5,811
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,943
5.0%
Average amount $26,799

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,249
Men 36.3% Women 63.7%
1,197
Men 30.5% Women 69.5%
Graduate students 381
Men 29.9% Women 70.1%
55
Men 18.2% Women 81.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 40.3% 30.2%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 761 403
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Architecture
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Architecture
  • English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 65.4% 68.6%
Dropout rate 34.2% 31.4%
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
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,497
  • Year 2: $42,123
  • Year 3: $48,158
Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,531
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $39,370
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $17,166
  • Year 2: $18,315
  • Year 3: N/A
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,667
  • Year 3: N/A

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