California College of the Arts vs. USD

Should I go to California College of the Arts or University of San Diego? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California College of the Arts or USD is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California College of the Arts vs. University of San Diego comparison
California College of the Arts University of San Diego College 3 College 4
California College of the Arts University of San Diego
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Overview

California College of the Arts USD
Location Oakland, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 1,501 8,815
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cca.edu sandiego.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California College of the Arts USD
Tuition (In State) $53,856 $53,810
Tuition (Out of State) $53,856 $53,810
Room & Board $19,957 $17,010
Avg Net Price $47,862 $36,008
Avg Grant Aid $27,563 $36,408
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 83%

Admission

California College of the Arts USD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,987 14,334
Admitted 2,261 7,541
Acceptance Rate 75.7% 52.6%
Enrolled % 8.4% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 3.95
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2023

Academics

California College of the Arts USD
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (77%)
  • Architecture (11%)
  • Communications Technology (4%)
  • Communication (4%)
  • English and Literature (2%)
  • Business (39%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

California College of the Arts USD
Graduation Rate 49% 75%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,500 $70,200
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $22,904
Median Loan Payment $289 $236

Diversity

California College of the Arts USD
% Men 35% 43%
% Women 65% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 53%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 14% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 6%
% International 31% 7%
% Unknown Race 7% 3%

Students

California College of the Arts USD
% In-State 42% 55%
% Out-of-State 20% 40%

Campus

California College of the Arts USD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of San Diego is larger than than California College of the Arts based on total student enrollment (8,815 students vs. 1,501 students)

California College of the Arts vs. USD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or USD?

  • California College of the Arts is 0.1% more expensive to attend than USD for in-state tuition ($53,856.00 vs. $53,810.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at California College of the Arts than University of San Diego ($53,856.00 vs. $53,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of San Diego than California College of the Arts ($36,008 vs. $47,862)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Diego are 17.3% lower than costs at California College of the Arts ($17,010 vs. $19,957)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California College of the Arts than University of San Diego (91% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 32.1% larger than aid received California College of the Arts ($36,408 vs. $27,563)

California College of the Arts vs. USD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or USD? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between USD or California College of the Arts .

  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.61 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at California College of the Arts (3.34)
  • California College of the Arts has a higher acceptance rate (75.7%) than USD (52.6%)

California College of the Arts vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California College of the Arts or USD? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between USD and California College of the Arts.

  • The graduation rate at USD is higher than California College of the Arts (75% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from University of San Diego earn on average $26,700 more per year than California College of the Arts graduates after ten years. ($70,200 vs. $43,500)
  • University of San Diego students graduate with a $5,096 lower median federal student loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates. ($22,904 vs. $28,000)
  • USD graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than California College of the Arts graduates. ($236 vs. $289)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California College of the Arts students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 62%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/