CalArts vs. Curtis Institute of Music

Deciding between California Institute of the Arts and Curtis Institute of Music? 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 Institute of the Arts

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • CalArts Valencia, CA
  • Curtis Institute of Music Philadelphia, PA
  • Setting
  • CalArts Midsize Suburban
  • Curtis Institute of Music Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • CalArts 1,277
  • Curtis Institute of Music 161
  • Type
  • CalArts Private 4 Year
  • Curtis Institute of Music Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • CalArts
  • Curtis Institute of Music
  • Religious Affiliation
  • CalArts -
  • Curtis Institute of Music -
  • Status
  • CalArts Non-profit
  • Curtis Institute of Music Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • CalArts
  • Curtis Institute of Music

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • CalArts $58,996
  • Curtis Institute of Music $0
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • CalArts $58,996
  • Curtis Institute of Music $0
  • Room & Board
  • CalArts $14,134
  • Curtis Institute of Music $21,035
  • Average Net Price
  • CalArts $56,239
  • Curtis Institute of Music $23,686
  • Average Grant Aid
  • CalArts $21,416
  • Curtis Institute of Music $7,774
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • CalArts 95%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • CalArts 2,004
  • Curtis Institute of Music 568
  • Admitted
  • CalArts 648
  • Curtis Institute of Music 26
  • Acceptance Rate
  • CalArts 32.3%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 4.6%
  • Enrolled
  • CalArts 27.9%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 92.3%
  • Typical SAT score
  • CalArts
  • Curtis Institute of Music
  • Typical ACT score
  • CalArts
  • Curtis Institute of Music
  • Average High School GPA
  • CalArts -
  • Curtis Institute of Music -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • CalArts -
  • Curtis Institute of Music -
  • Admissions Standards
  • CalArts Unavailable
  • Curtis Institute of Music Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • CalArts High
  • Curtis Institute of Music Extreme
  • ACT Range
  • CalArts
  • Curtis Institute of Music
  • SAT Range
  • CalArts
  • Curtis Institute of Music
  • Submit Test Scores
  • CalArts Test-free
  • Curtis Institute of Music Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • CalArts Jan 5, 2027
  • Curtis Institute of Music Dec 18, 2026

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • CalArts 7:1
  • Curtis Institute of Music 2:1
  • Popular Majors
  • CalArts
    • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)
  • Curtis Institute of Music

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • CalArts 65%
  • Curtis Institute of Music -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • CalArts $50,400
  • Curtis Institute of Music N/A
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • CalArts 64%
  • Curtis Institute of Music -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • CalArts $28,500
  • Curtis Institute of Music N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • CalArts $294
  • Curtis Institute of Music N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • CalArts 41%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 50%
  • % Women
  • CalArts 59%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 50%
  • Racial Diversity
  • CalArts Very High
  • Curtis Institute of Music Very High
  • HBCU
  • CalArts No
  • Curtis Institute of Music No
  • % White
  • CalArts 42%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 37%
  • % Asian
  • CalArts 16%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 18%
  • % Black
  • CalArts 7%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • CalArts 15%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 3%
  • % Native American
  • CalArts 1%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • CalArts 1%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • CalArts 6%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 0%
  • % International
  • CalArts 7%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 37%
  • % Unknown Race
  • CalArts 8%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • CalArts 36%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 0%
  • % Out-of-State
  • CalArts 39%
  • Curtis Institute of Music 63%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • CalArts Yes
  • Curtis Institute of Music Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • CalArts No
  • Curtis Institute of Music
  • Meal Plan
  • CalArts Yes
  • Curtis Institute of Music Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • CalArts No
  • Curtis Institute of Music No
  • Daycare Facility
  • CalArts No
  • Curtis Institute of Music

Comparable Facts

Compare California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA with Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California Institute of the Arts is larger than Curtis Institute of Music based on total student enrollment (1,277 students vs. 161 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California Institute of the Arts is located in Valencia, CA (Midsize Suburban setting); Curtis Institute of Music is in Philadelphia, PA (Large City setting).
  • California Institute of the Arts is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Curtis Institute of Music is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: California Institute of the Arts 7:1; Curtis Institute of Music 2:1.

CalArts vs. Curtis Institute of Music Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CalArts or Curtis Institute of Music? 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 Curtis Institute of Music than CalArts ($23,686 vs. $56,239).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Institute of the Arts are 32.8% lower than at Curtis Institute of Music ($14,134 vs. $21,035).
  • In-state tuition differs between California Institute of the Arts and Curtis Institute of Music ($58,996.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between CalArts and Curtis Institute of Music ($58,996.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Curtis Institute of Music than at California Institute of the Arts (100% vs. 95%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of the Arts students is 175.5% larger than aid received by Curtis Institute of Music students ($21,416 vs. $7,774).

CalArts vs. Curtis Institute of Music Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CalArts or Curtis Institute of Music? 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 Curtis Institute of Music and CalArts.

  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CalArts - Test-free; Curtis Institute of Music - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: CalArts Jan 5, 2027; Curtis Institute of Music Dec 18, 2026.
  • CalArts has a higher acceptance rate (32.3%) than Curtis Institute of Music (4.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 27.9% at CalArts vs. 92.3% at Curtis Institute of Music.

CalArts vs. Curtis Institute of Music Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CalArts and Curtis Institute of Music? 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).

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.