California College of the Arts vs. USD

Comparable Facts

Compare California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA with University of San Diego in San Diego, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of San Diego is larger than California College of the Arts based on total student enrollment (9,714 students vs. 1,308 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting); University of San Diego is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• California College of the Arts is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. University of San Diego is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California College of the Arts 8:1; University of San Diego 13:1.

California College of the Arts vs. USD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or USD? 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 University of San Diego than California College of the Arts ($37,918 vs. $46,823).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Diego are 9.9% lower than at California College of the Arts ($19,918 vs. $22,099).
• California College of the Arts is 1.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than USD (about $740 more per year; $60,226.00 vs. $59,486.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 1.2% higher at California College of the Arts than at University of San Diego (about $740 more per year; $60,226.00 vs. $59,486.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California College of the Arts than at University of San Diego (96% vs. 84%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 24.3% larger than aid received by California College of the Arts students ($40,965 vs. $32,953).

California College of the Arts vs. USD Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or USD? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between USD and California College of the Arts.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California College of the Arts - Test-free; USD - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: USD Dec 15, 2026.
• Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.61 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at California College of the Arts (3.34).
• California College of the Arts has a higher acceptance rate (91.1%) than USD (52.4%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 8% at California College of the Arts vs. 12.4% at USD.

California College of the Arts vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California College of the Arts and USD? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• University of San Diego's six-year graduation rate (75%) is higher than California College of the Arts's (49%).
• Graduates from University of San Diego earn a median of about $26,700 more per year than California College of the Arts graduates about ten years after starting college ($70,200 vs. $43,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, University of San Diego graduates have a $5,096 lower median loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates ($22,904 vs. $28,000).
• Among borrowers, USD graduates have an estimated $53 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than California College of the Arts graduates ($236 vs. $289).
• More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California College of the Arts students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 62%)

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.