CMA vs. FIDM LA

Deciding between California State University Maritime Academy and FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising? 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 State University Maritime Academy

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • CMA Vallejo, CA
  • FIDM LA Los Angeles, CA
  • Setting
  • CMA Midsize City
  • FIDM LA Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • CMA 837
  • FIDM LA 564
  • Type
  • CMA Public 4 Year
  • FIDM LA Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • CMA
  • FIDM LA
  • Religious Affiliation
  • CMA -
  • FIDM LA -
  • Status
  • CMA Non-profit
  • FIDM LA For-profit
  • Team Colors
  • CMA
  • FIDM LA

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • CMA $9,944
  • FIDM LA $35,000
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • CMA $22,544
  • FIDM LA $35,000
  • Room & Board
  • CMA $14,536
  • FIDM LA $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • CMA $19,040
  • FIDM LA $39,494
  • Average Grant Aid
  • CMA $11,038
  • FIDM LA $13,834
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • CMA 51%
  • FIDM LA 78%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • CMA 961
  • FIDM LA -
  • Admitted
  • CMA 913
  • FIDM LA -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • CMA 95%
  • FIDM LA
  • Enrolled
  • CMA 20.7%
  • FIDM LA
  • Typical SAT score
  • CMA
  • FIDM LA
  • Typical ACT score
  • CMA
  • FIDM LA
  • Average High School GPA
  • CMA 3.43
  • FIDM LA -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • CMA B+
  • FIDM LA -
  • Admissions Standards
  • CMA Unavailable
  • FIDM LA Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • CMA
  • FIDM LA
  • ACT Range
  • CMA
  • FIDM LA
  • SAT Range
  • CMA
  • FIDM LA
  • Submit Test Scores
  • CMA Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
  • FIDM LA Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
  • Application Deadline
  • CMA Dec 15, 2026
  • FIDM LA

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • CMA 11:1
  • FIDM LA 135:1
  • Popular Majors
  • CMA
    • Transportation and Materials Moving (53%)
    • Social Sciences (14%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Engineering Technology (12%)
    • Business (8%)
  • FIDM LA
    • Visual and Performing Arts (54%)
    • Business (39%)
    • Work and Family Studies (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • CMA 62%
  • FIDM LA 100%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • CMA $90,500
  • FIDM LA $41,600
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • CMA 79%
  • FIDM LA 61%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • CMA $25,526
  • FIDM LA $13,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • CMA $263
  • FIDM LA $134

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • CMA 82%
  • FIDM LA 13%
  • % Women
  • CMA 18%
  • FIDM LA 87%
  • Racial Diversity
  • CMA High
  • FIDM LA Very High
  • HBCU
  • CMA No
  • FIDM LA No
  • % White
  • CMA 54%
  • FIDM LA 33%
  • % Asian
  • CMA 10%
  • FIDM LA 11%
  • % Black
  • CMA 2%
  • FIDM LA 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • CMA 17%
  • FIDM LA 22%
  • % Native American
  • CMA 0%
  • FIDM LA 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • CMA 0%
  • FIDM LA 1%
  • % Two or More Races
  • CMA 11%
  • FIDM LA 3%
  • % International
  • CMA 1%
  • FIDM LA 17%
  • % Unknown Race
  • CMA 6%
  • FIDM LA 6%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • CMA 87%
  • FIDM LA 66%
  • % Out-of-State
  • CMA 13%
  • FIDM LA 26%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • CMA Yes
  • FIDM LA No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • CMA No
  • FIDM LA No
  • Meal Plan
  • CMA Yes
  • FIDM LA No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • CMA No
  • FIDM LA Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • CMA No
  • FIDM LA No

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Maritime Academy in Vallejo, CA with FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California State University Maritime Academy is larger than FIDM LA based on total student enrollment (837 students vs. 564 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • California State University Maritime Academy is located in Vallejo, CA (Midsize City setting); FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is in Los Angeles, CA (Large City setting).
  • California State University Maritime Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a private, for-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Maritime Academy 11:1; FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising 135:1.

CMA vs. FIDM LA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CMA or FIDM LA? 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 California State University Maritime Academy than FIDM LA ($19,040 vs. $39,494).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Maritime Academy are 34.2% lower than at FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising ($14,536 vs. $22,086).
  • FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is 252% more expensive for in-state tuition than CMA (about $25,056 more per year; $35,000.00 vs. $9,944.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 55.3% higher at FIDM LA than at California State University Maritime Academy (about $12,456 more per year; $35,000.00 vs. $22,544.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising than at California State University Maritime Academy (78% vs. 51%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising students is 25.3% larger than aid received by California State University Maritime Academy students ($13,834 vs. $11,038).

CMA vs. FIDM LA Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CMA or FIDM LA? 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 FIDM LA and CMA.

  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: CMA - Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind); FIDM LA - Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind).
  • Typical fall application deadline: CMA Dec 15, 2026.

CMA vs. FIDM LA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for CMA and FIDM LA? 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).

  • FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's six-year graduation rate (100%) is higher than California State University Maritime Academy's (62%).
  • Graduates from California State University Maritime Academy earn a median of about $48,900 more per year than FIDM LA graduates about ten years after starting college ($90,500 vs. $41,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, FIDM Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising graduates have a $12,526 lower median loan debt than CMA graduates ($13,000 vs. $25,526).
  • Among borrowers, FIDM LA graduates have an estimated $129 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than CMA graduates ($134 vs. $263).
  • More CMA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FIDM LA students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 61%)

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.