California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA · private nonprofit
Official site ↗Admissions
| Admit rate | 26% |
| Applicants | — |
| Middle-50% SAT | —–— |
| Middle-50% ACT | —–— |
| Avg GPA | — |
| Test policy | — |
| Avg net price / yr | $47,183 |
| Grad rate | 64% |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $41,198 |
| Source | scorecard_bulk · 2025 |
Application requirements
- •Personal profile: Name, address, demographics, citizenship.
- •Family: Parent/guardian education and occupation (used for first-gen context).
- •Education: Current school, GPA/rank if reported, courses & grades, planned senior courses.
- •Testing: SAT/ACT scores (self-reported); many schools are test-optional or test-blind — check per school.
- •Activities: Up to 10 activities with role, hours/week, weeks/year.
- •Personal essay: One 250–650 word essay from the Common App prompts.
- •Recommendations: Counselor recommendation + typically 1–2 teacher recommendations.
- •School supplements: Per-school essays and questions (the 'Why us', short-answer, etc.).
Supplemental essays
~500 words each.
- At CCA we understand that art has the ability to live outside the studio, impacting others by sharing new perspectives and asking important questions. Most often these perspectives and questions are the result of the artist’s own lived experiences, identities, passions, and inspirations. In this essay, please reflect on how your unique perspective influences the art that you make/want to make while at CCA.
Copied verbatim from the school's official admissions page (2025-26 cycle).