California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts logo
#626 / #195
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#83
Most Desirable School
Private university in Santa Clarita, California, United States

California Institute of the Arts at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#195
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
32%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$61,354
Graduation rate
62%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
860

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

About California Institute of the Arts

According to Wikipedia, The California Institute of the Arts is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual and performing arts. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees through its six schools: Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater.

California Institute of the Arts Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation Rate
2,02332%82%62%

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does California Institute of the Arts Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$61,354
Average Net Price by Family Income (2021–22)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$42,456
30K - 48K$43,913
48K - 75K$48,569
75K - 110K$46,849
110K+$57,246

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do California Institute of the Arts Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former California Institute of the Arts students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $45,380 a year, and 87% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

California Institute of the Arts's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
1,386947439

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is California Institute of the Arts?

California Institute of the Arts is located at 24700 W McBean Pky, Valencia, CA 91355-2397.

How Safe is California Institute of the Arts?

Relative to its enrollment, California Institute of the Arts has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).

What Is California Institute of the Arts Known For?

California Institute of the Arts is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

California Institute of the Arts's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much California Institute of the Arts's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

Communications
#369
World Rank
#396
Historical Rank
#113
USA Rank

California Institute of the Arts ranks #113 in the U.S. and #369 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Computer Science
#440
World Rank
#442
Historical Rank
#121
USA Rank

California Institute of the Arts ranks #121 in the U.S. and #440 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Sociology
#1509
World Rank
#1518
Historical Rank
#435
USA Rank

California Institute of the Arts ranks #435 in the U.S. and #1509 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees

Who Are California Institute of the Arts's Most Influential Alumni?

California Institute of the Arts's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Communications, Computer Science, and Literature. Here are some of California Institute of the Arts's most famous alumni:

Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen Hillenburg
An American marine science educator and artist .
Mike Judge
Mike Judge
An American animator.
Julie Taymor
Julie Taymor
An American film and theatre director.
James Lapine
James Lapine
An American stage director and librettist..
Pendleton Ward
Pendleton Ward
An American animator.
Douglas Rushkoff
Douglas Rushkoff
An American writer and media theorist.
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
An American filmmaker and artist.
Glen Keane
Glen Keane
An American writer and artist.
Craig McCracken
Craig McCracken
An American animator.
Edward Ruscha
An American painter and photographer.
John Musker
John Musker
An American animation director.
Michael Joyce
An American academic and writer.

Who Are California Institute of the Arts's Most Influential Faculty?

California Institute of the Arts's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Communications, Computer Science, and Literature. Here are some of California Institute of the Arts's most famous faculty:

James Franco
James Franco
An American actor.
Madlib
An American record producer from California.
Douglas Kearney
Douglas Kearney
A Poet.
Maggie Nelson
Maggie Nelson
An American writer.
Mark Osborne
Mark Osborne
An American film director, writer, producer and animator.
Jen Hofer
An American poet and translator.
Ashley Hunt
An American artist and filmmaker.
Ben Richter
A Musical artist.