Art Center College of Design vs. Cal State East Bay

Comparable Facts

Compare Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA with California State University East Bay in Hayward, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University East Bay is larger than Art Center College of Design based on total student enrollment (12,326 students vs. 2,308 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Art Center College of Design is located in Pasadena, CA (Midsize City setting); California State University East Bay is in Hayward, CA (Midsize City setting).
• Art Center College of Design is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. California State University East Bay is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Art Center College of Design 9:1; California State University East Bay 22:1.

Art Center College of Design vs. Cal State East Bay Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Art Center College of Design or Cal State East Bay? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University East Bay than Art Center College of Design ($9,850 vs. $53,271).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University East Bay are 9.2% lower than at Art Center College of Design ($17,831 vs. $19,632).
• Art Center College of Design is 614.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than Cal State East Bay (about $46,587 more per year; $54,170.00 vs. $7,583.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 168.4% higher at Art Center College of Design than at California State University East Bay (about $33,987 more per year; $54,170.00 vs. $20,183.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University East Bay than at Art Center College of Design (79% vs. 60%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Art Center College of Design students is 81.2% larger than aid received by California State University East Bay students ($22,412 vs. $12,369).

Art Center College of Design vs. Cal State East Bay Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Art Center College of Design or Cal State East Bay? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Cal State East Bay and Art Center College of Design.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Art Center College of Design - Test-free; Cal State East Bay - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: Cal State East Bay Oct 1, 2026.
• Cal State East Bay has a higher acceptance rate (97.4%) than Art Center College of Design (74.5%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 31.5% at Art Center College of Design vs. 6.9% at Cal State East Bay.

Art Center College of Design vs. Cal State East Bay Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Art Center College of Design and Cal State East Bay? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Art Center College of Design's six-year graduation rate (54%) is higher than California State University East Bay's (43%).
• Graduates from Art Center College of Design earn a median of about $3,000 more per year than Cal State East Bay graduates about ten years after starting college ($58,300 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University East Bay graduates have a $14,918 lower median loan debt than Art Center College of Design graduates ($16,332 vs. $31,250).
• Among borrowers, Cal State East Bay graduates have an estimated $155 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Art Center College of Design graduates ($168 vs. $323).
• More Art Center College of Design graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State East Bay students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 61%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.