California College of the Arts vs. Pacific Northwest College of Art

Comparable Facts

Compare California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA with Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California College of the Arts is larger than Pacific Northwest College of Art based on total student enrollment (1,308 students vs. 466 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting); Pacific Northwest College of Art is in Portland, OR (Large City setting).
• California College of the Arts is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Pacific Northwest College of Art is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California College of the Arts 8:1; Pacific Northwest College of Art 9:1.

California College of the Arts vs. Pacific Northwest College of Art Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or Pacific Northwest College of Art? 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 Pacific Northwest College of Art than California College of the Arts ($39,710 vs. $46,823).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pacific Northwest College of Art are 10.6% lower than at California College of the Arts ($19,760 vs. $22,099).
• California College of the Arts is 22.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than Pacific Northwest College of Art (about $11,220 more per year; $60,226.00 vs. $49,006.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 22.9% higher at California College of the Arts than at Pacific Northwest College of Art (about $11,220 more per year; $60,226.00 vs. $49,006.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Pacific Northwest College of Art than at California College of the Arts (100% vs. 96%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California College of the Arts students is 7.5% larger than aid received by Pacific Northwest College of Art students ($32,953 vs. $30,666).

California College of the Arts vs. Pacific Northwest College of Art Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or Pacific Northwest College of Art? 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 Pacific Northwest College of Art and California College of the Arts.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California College of the Arts - Test-free; Pacific Northwest College of Art - Test-free.
• California College of the Arts has a higher acceptance rate (91.1%) than Pacific Northwest College of Art (74.8%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 8% at California College of the Arts vs. 28.1% at Pacific Northwest College of Art.

California College of the Arts vs. Pacific Northwest College of Art Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California College of the Arts and Pacific Northwest College of Art? 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).

• California College of the Arts's six-year graduation rate (49%) is higher than Pacific Northwest College of Art's (42%).
• Graduates from California College of the Arts earn a median of about $13,600 more per year than Pacific Northwest College of Art graduates about ten years after starting college ($43,500 vs. $29,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Pacific Northwest College of Art graduates have a $19 lower median loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates ($27,981 vs. $28,000).
• Among borrowers in the federal data, Pacific Northwest College of Art and California College of the Arts graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($289 vs. $289).
• More California College of the Arts graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pacific Northwest College of Art students, three years after graduation. (62% vs. 50%)

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.