California College of the Arts vs. University of Western States

Deciding between California College of the Arts and University of Western States? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

California College of the Arts

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA
  • University of Western States Portland, OR
  • Setting
  • California College of the Arts Large City
  • University of Western States Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • California College of the Arts 1,308
  • University of Western States 959
  • Type
  • California College of the Arts Private 4 Year
  • University of Western States Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • California College of the Arts
  • University of Western States
  • Religious Affiliation
  • California College of the Arts -
  • University of Western States -
  • Status
  • California College of the Arts Non-profit
  • University of Western States Non-profit
  • Website
  • California College of the Arts cca.edu
  • University of Western States uws.edu
  • Team Colors
  • California College of the Arts
  • University of Western States

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • California College of the Arts $60,226
  • University of Western States $8,710
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • California College of the Arts $60,226
  • University of Western States $8,710
  • Room & Board
  • California College of the Arts $22,099
  • University of Western States $0
  • Average Net Price
  • California College of the Arts $46,823
  • University of Western States -
  • Average Grant Aid
  • California College of the Arts $32,953
  • University of Western States $0
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • California College of the Arts 96%
  • University of Western States 0%

  • Admissions

  • Admission Chances
  • California College of the Arts Calculate
  • University of Western States Calculate
  • Applied
  • California College of the Arts 2,371
  • University of Western States -
  • Admitted
  • California College of the Arts 2,160
  • University of Western States -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • California College of the Arts 91.1%
  • University of Western States Open
  • Enrolled
  • California College of the Arts 8%
  • University of Western States Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • California College of the Arts
  • University of Western States
  • Typical ACT score
  • California College of the Arts
  • University of Western States
  • Average High School GPA
  • California College of the Arts 3.34
  • University of Western States -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • California College of the Arts B+
  • University of Western States -
  • Admissions Standards
  • California College of the Arts Unavailable
  • University of Western States Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • California College of the Arts
  • University of Western States
  • ACT Range
  • California College of the Arts
  • University of Western States
  • SAT Range
  • California College of the Arts
  • University of Western States
  • Submit Test Scores
  • California College of the Arts Test-free
  • University of Western States Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • California College of the Arts
  • University of Western States

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • California College of the Arts 8:1
  • University of Western States 7:1
  • Popular Majors
  • California College of the Arts
    • Visual and Performing Arts (77%)
    • Architecture (11%)
    • Communications Technology (4%)
    • Communication (4%)
    • English and Literature (2%)
  • University of Western States
    • Health Professions (90%)
    • Biology (10%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • California College of the Arts 49%
  • University of Western States -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • California College of the Arts $43,500
  • University of Western States $52,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • California College of the Arts 62%
  • University of Western States 68%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • California College of the Arts $28,000
  • University of Western States $8,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • California College of the Arts $289
  • University of Western States $87

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • California College of the Arts 33%
  • University of Western States 31%
  • % Women
  • California College of the Arts 67%
  • University of Western States 69%
  • Racial Diversity
  • California College of the Arts Very High
  • University of Western States Medium
  • HBCU
  • California College of the Arts No
  • University of Western States No
  • % White
  • California College of the Arts 27%
  • University of Western States 64%
  • % Asian
  • California College of the Arts 16%
  • University of Western States 3%
  • % Black
  • California College of the Arts 4%
  • University of Western States 1%
  • % Hispanic
  • California College of the Arts 14%
  • University of Western States 9%
  • % Native American
  • California College of the Arts 0%
  • University of Western States 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • California College of the Arts 1%
  • University of Western States 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • California College of the Arts 0%
  • University of Western States 20%
  • % International
  • California College of the Arts 31%
  • University of Western States 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • California College of the Arts 7%
  • University of Western States 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • California College of the Arts 34%
  • University of Western States -
  • % Out-of-State
  • California College of the Arts 27%
  • University of Western States -

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • California College of the Arts Yes
  • University of Western States No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • California College of the Arts No
  • University of Western States Not applicable
  • Meal Plan
  • California College of the Arts No
  • University of Western States No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • California College of the Arts No
  • University of Western States Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • California College of the Arts No
  • University of Western States No
  • Learn More
  • California College of the Arts Details
  • University of Western States Details

Comparable Facts

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

California College of the Arts is larger than University of Western States based on total student enrollment (1,308 students vs. 959 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting); University of Western States is in Portland, OR (Large City setting).
  • California College of the Arts is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Western States is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: California College of the Arts 8:1; University of Western States 7:1.

California College of the Arts vs. University of Western States Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or University of Western States? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • California College of the Arts is 591.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than University of Western States (about $51,516 more per year; $60,226.00 vs. $8,710.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 591.5% higher at California College of the Arts than at University of Western States (about $51,516 more per year; $60,226.00 vs. $8,710.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at California College of the Arts than at University of Western States (96% vs. 0%).

California College of the Arts vs. University of Western States Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or University of Western States? 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 University of Western States and California College of the Arts.

  • University of Western States reports an open admissions policy.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California College of the Arts - Test-free; University of Western States - Open admission.

California College of the Arts vs. University of Western States Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California College of the Arts and University of Western States? 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).

  • Graduates from University of Western States earn a median of about $8,700 more per year than California College of the Arts graduates about ten years after starting college ($52,200 vs. $43,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Western States graduates have a $19,500 lower median loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates ($8,500 vs. $28,000).
  • Among borrowers, University of Western States graduates have an estimated $202 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than California College of the Arts graduates ($87 vs. $289).
  • More University of Western States graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California College of the Arts students, three years after graduation. (68% 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.