California College of the Arts vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Comparable Facts

Compare California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA with Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

California College of the Arts is larger than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design based on total student enrollment (1,308 students vs. 414 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting); Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is in Lancaster, PA (Small City setting).
• California College of the Arts is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California College of the Arts 8:1; Pennsylvania College of Art and Design 10:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design are 22% lower than at California College of the Arts ($17,230 vs. $22,099).
• Out-of-state tuition is 87.3% higher at California College of the Arts than at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (about $28,076 more per year; $60,226 vs. $32,150).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design than at California College of the Arts (100% vs. 96%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California College of the Arts students is 119.8% larger than aid received by Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students ($32,953 vs. $14,989).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both California College of the Arts and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
• Enrolled first-year students at California College of the Arts average a 3.34 high school GPA, 0.21 higher than at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (3.13).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 8% at California College of the Arts vs. 32.5% at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates have a $1,000 lower median loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates ($27,000 vs. $28,000).
• Among borrowers, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates have an estimated $10 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than California College of the Arts graduates ($279 vs. $289).
• More California College of the Arts graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students, three years after graduation (62% vs. 58%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.