CalArts vs. SFBU

Comparable Facts

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

California Institute of the Arts is larger than SFBU based on total student enrollment (1,277 students vs. 389 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California Institute of the Arts is located in Valencia, CA (Midsize Suburban setting); San Francisco Bay University is in Fremont, California (Large Suburban setting).
• California Institute of the Arts is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. San Francisco Bay University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California Institute of the Arts 7:1; San Francisco Bay University 10:1.

CalArts vs. SFBU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CalArts or SFBU? 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 San Francisco Bay University than CalArts ($10,294 vs. $56,239).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco Bay University are 24.3% lower than at California Institute of the Arts ($10,700 vs. $14,134).
• California Institute of the Arts is 568.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than SFBU (about $50,166 more per year; $58,996.00 vs. $8,830.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 568.1% higher at CalArts than at San Francisco Bay University (about $50,166 more per year; $58,996.00 vs. $8,830.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at San Francisco Bay University 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 80.9% larger than aid received by San Francisco Bay University students ($21,416 vs. $11,841).

CalArts vs. SFBU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CalArts or SFBU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SFBU and CalArts.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CalArts - Test-free; SFBU - Test-free.
• Typical fall application deadline: CalArts Jan 5, 2027; SFBU Aug 5, 2027.
• SFBU has a higher acceptance rate (95.8%) than CalArts (32.3%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 27.9% at CalArts vs. 5.6% at SFBU.

CalArts vs. SFBU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CalArts and SFBU? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• California Institute of the Arts's six-year graduation rate is 65%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for SFBU.
• Graduates from California Institute of the Arts have median earnings of about $50,400 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for SFBU.

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.