California College Of The Arts

California College of the Arts' published cost of attendance is $79,776. Net price by income band varies meaningfully across the income spectrum: low-income families pay approximately $61,407, middle-income families pay around $45,378, and higher-income families pay approximately $56,394.

Azimuth ranks California College of the Arts #1405 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability rank reflects both the headline sticker price and the debt load graduates carry; [net price and sticker price can differ substantially](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), and understanding that gap matters when comparing institutions.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $28,055; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures. Families should weigh any Parent PLUS obligations against need-based aid and non-loan financing alternatives before borrowing — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $53,517, median federal debt of $27,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $305 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of California College of the Arts earn median 4-year earnings of $53,517, placing California College of the Arts in the 13.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs below the $57,042 median at comparable institutions.

Graduates earn about $5,357 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing California College of the Arts in the 35.1 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks California College of the Arts #867 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to CA's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,672 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects California College of the Arts's concentration in visual and performing arts.

Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 99 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $59,238, performing at 1.1x the national benchmark for the field. The Fine and Studio Arts program graduates 61 students earning $44,012, and the The Graphic Communications program graduates 60 students earning $31,068.

Film/Video and Photographic Arts and Computer Software round out the institution's core program portfolio. The concentration in Visual & Performing Arts means outcomes depend heavily on individual field choice and post-graduation career trajectory, with graduates pursuing creative industries, design, and related professional paths where early-career earnings typically lag but long-term upside remains substantial for those who establish themselves in their chosen field.

California College of the Arts's program portfolio centers on visual and performing arts, reflecting its identity as a specialized creative institution in San Francisco. The largest programs by enrollment are Design and Applied Arts with 99 graduates, followed by Fine and Studio Arts with 61 graduates, Graphic Communications with 60 graduates, Film/Video and Photographic Arts with 41 graduates, and Computer Software with 38 graduates.

Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 338 students annually, the institution's earnings profile reflects outcomes concentrated in creative and design-adjacent fields. The highest-earning programs at California College of the Arts demonstrate strong early-career outcomes for graduates entering creative industries and adjacent professional fields.

Human Computer Interaction leads with median earnings of $149,149 four years after enrollment across 22 graduates, followed by Design and Applied Arts with median earnings of $59,238 for 99 graduates and Fine and Studio Arts with median earnings of $44,012 for 61 graduates. Graphic Communications rounds out the top quartile with median earnings of $31,068.

These outcomes reflect the institution's positioning within San Francisco's creative economy, where design, media production, and arts-related professional services command meaningful early-career compensation. California College of the Arts's program mix is anchored in Visual & Performing Arts, with Arts representing 59% of graduates.

This concentration shapes both the institution's labor-market alignment and the earnings trajectory of its cohort. Graduates from California College of the Arts tend to enter high-mobility creative and design careers where four-year earnings reflect direct entry into the workforce rather than graduate-school-dependent pathways.

The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how creative and design fields align with regional labor-market demand in the San Francisco Bay Area.