California College of the Arts vs. Cal State LA

Should I go to California College of the Arts or California State University Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California College of the Arts or Cal State LA is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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California College of the Arts vs. California State University Los Angeles comparison
California College of the Arts California State University Los Angeles College 3 College 4
California College of the Arts California State University Los Angeles
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Overview

 California College of the Arts Cal State LA
Location Oakland, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 1,501 26,460
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #947
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cca.edu calstatela.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 California College of the Arts Cal State LA
Tuition (In State) $53,856 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $53,856 $17,622
Room & Board $19,957 $17,998
Avg Net Price $47,862 $5,801
Avg Grant Aid $27,563 $10,907
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 91%

Admission

 California College of the Arts Cal State LA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,987 33,939
Admitted 2,261 29,507
Acceptance Rate 75.7% 86.9%
Enrolled % 8.4% 13.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 15/20
SAT Range 870/1060
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jan 19, 2025

Academics

 California College of the Arts Cal State LA
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (77%)
  • Architecture (11%)
  • Communications Technology (4%)
  • Communication (4%)
  • English and Literature (2%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

 California College of the Arts Cal State LA
Graduation Rate 49% 36%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,500 $46,900
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $12,920
Median Loan Payment $289 $133

Diversity

 California College of the Arts Cal State LA
% Men 35% 41%
% Women 65% 59%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 27% 7%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 14% 63%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 31% 6%
% Unknown Race 7% 3%

Students

 California College of the Arts Cal State LA
% In-State 42% 99%
% Out-of-State 20% 0%

Campus

 California College of the Arts Cal State LA
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Los Angeles is larger than than California College of the Arts based on total student enrollment (26,460 students vs. 1,501 students)

California College of the Arts vs. Cal State LA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or Cal State LA?

  • California College of the Arts is 837.9% more expensive to attend than Cal State LA for in-state tuition ($53,856.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 205.6% higher at California College of the Arts than California State University Los Angeles ($53,856.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Los Angeles than California College of the Arts ($5,801 vs. $47,862)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Los Angeles are 10.9% lower than costs at California College of the Arts ($17,998 vs. $19,957)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at California College of the Arts as California State University Los Angeles (91% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California College of the Arts students is 152.7% larger than aid received California State University Los Angeles ($27,563 vs. $10,907)

California College of the Arts vs. Cal State LA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or Cal State LA? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cal State LA or California College of the Arts .

  • Accepted freshman California College of the Arts students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.34) than students at Cal State LA (3.31)
  • Cal State LA has a higher acceptance rate (86.9%) than California College of the Arts (75.7%)

California College of the Arts vs. Cal State LA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California College of the Arts or Cal State LA? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cal State LA and California College of the Arts.

  • The graduation rate at California College of the Arts is higher than California State University Los Angeles (49% vs. 36%)
  • Graduates from California State University Los Angeles earn on average $3,400 more per year than California College of the Arts graduates after ten years. ($46,900 vs. $43,500)
  • California State University Los Angeles students graduate with a $15,080 lower median federal student loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates. ($12,920 vs. $28,000)
  • Cal State LA graduates are paying $156 less per month on federal student loans than California College of the Arts graduates. ($133 vs. $289)
  • More California College of the Arts graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State LA students, three years after graduation. (62% vs. 57%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/