Home / Schools / California
The real 4-year cost of California College of the Arts in California
Over the 15 years from 2008 to 2023, published tuition and required fees at California College of the Arts went from $31,382 to $57,946, an average of 3.7% a year.
2008–2027: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $31,382 | – | – |
| 2009 | $33,254 | – | – |
| 2010 | $35,222 | – | – |
| 2011 | $37,310 | – | – |
| 2012 | $38,798 | – | – |
| 2013 | $40,334 | – | – |
| 2014 | $41,942 | – | – |
| 2015 | $43,708 | – | – |
| 2016 | $45,466 | – | – |
| 2017 | $47,266 | – | – |
| 2018 | $49,138 | – | – |
| 2019 | $51,092 | – | – |
| 2020 | $51,137 | – | – |
| 2021 | $52,312 | – | – |
| 2022 | $54,706 | – | – |
| 2023 | $57,946 | $57,946 | – |
| 2024 | – | $60,065 | $59,205–$60,925 |
| 2025 | – | $62,262 | $60,492–$64,057 |
| 2026 | – | $64,539 | $61,806–$67,350 |
| 2027 | – | $66,899 | $63,149–$70,813 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $64,539 |
| Year 2 | $66,899 |
| Year 3 | $69,345 |
| Year 4 | $71,881 |
| 4-year total | $272,664 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $232,664
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $138,332
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Latest (2023)
- $21,165/ yr
- rising 7.3% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $116,477
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at California College of the Arts4-year schools with similar prices in California
Closest to California College of the Arts by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- University of Redlands$57,614
- California Institute of the Arts$56,724
- California Northstate University$59,254
- Saint Mary's College of California$56,134
- University of the Pacific$55,340
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music$54,550
- Southern California Institute of Architecture$53,564
- Otis College of Art and Design$52,460
Use this data
Published figures for California College of the Arts from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.