California College of the Arts vs. Cal State LA

Comparable Facts

Compare California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA with California State University Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

California State University Los Angeles is larger than California College of the Arts based on total student enrollment (23,163 students vs. 1,308 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting); California State University Los Angeles is in Los Angeles, CA (Large City setting).
• California College of the Arts is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. California State University Los Angeles is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California College of the Arts 8:1; California State University Los Angeles 21:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Los Angeles are 10.9% lower than at California College of the Arts ($19,696 vs. $22,099).
• Out-of-state tuition is 204.8% higher at California College of the Arts than at California State University Los Angeles (about $40,466 more per year; $60,226 vs. $19,760).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California College of the Arts than at California State University Los Angeles (96% vs. 94%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California College of the Arts students is 138.4% larger than aid received by California State University Los Angeles students ($32,953 vs. $13,824).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both California College of the Arts and Cal State LA.
• Typical fall application deadline: Cal State LA Jan 19, 2027.
• Enrolled first-year students at California College of the Arts average a 3.34 high school GPA, 0.03 higher than at Cal State LA (3.31).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 8% at California College of the Arts vs. 9.4% at Cal State LA.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Los Angeles graduates have a $15,080 lower median loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates ($12,920 vs. $28,000).
• Among borrowers, Cal State LA graduates have an estimated $156 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than California College of the Arts graduates ($133 vs. $289).
• More California College of the Arts graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State LA students, three years after graduation (62% vs. 57%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.