Paying for CalArts
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$58,996
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$58,996
On-campus Living Costs
$21,288
Off-campus Living Costs
$29,805
Undergraduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$1,877
Graduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$1,943
The 2025 tuition & fees of California Institute of the Arts are $58,996 for undergraduate programs. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $58,996 for graduate programs.
Compared to Private (not-for-profit), 4-Years Colleges in California, both undergraduate and graduate tuition & fees are very expensive.
Compared to similar schools in rankings such as Dominican University of California and La Sierra University, tuition & fees of California Institute of the Arts is very expensive where the average tuition & fees of the schools are $31,614.
The average living cost of the school is $21,288 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $29,805.
*Data Source: 2024-2025 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 6/05/2025)
2025 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the CalArts's 2025 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2025 Tuition & fees
The 2025 undergraduate tuition & fees at California Institute of the Arts are $58,996 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 4.01% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition & fees are $58,996 on average. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 41.17% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Fees | Tuition | Fees | |
| 2021 | $52,850 | $616 | $52,850 | $616 |
| 2022 | $52,850 | $616 | $52,850 | $616 |
| 2023 | $54,440 | $616 | $54,440 | $616 |
| 2024 | $56,074 | $650 | $56,074 | $650 |
| 2025 | $58,318 | $678 | $58,318 | $678 |
Living Costs
The 2025 average on-campus living costs is $21,288 including room & board and other living expenses (a student lives in on-campus housing such as dormitory and school-owned apartment). For students living in off-campus housing, the average living cost is $29,805.
The living cost at the school has increased by 8.36% from last year.
The following table and chart show the living costs changes over the last 5 years.
| Year | On-Campus | Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room & Board | Other Expenses | Room & Board | Other Expenses | |
| 2021 | $12,809 | $7,656 | $16,000 | $7,656 |
| 2022 | $12,135 | $7,826 | $16,000 | $7,826 |
| 2023 | $12,446 | $8,708 | $17,600 | $8,708 |
| 2024 | $12,820 | $6,826 | $18,600 | $9,045 |
| 2025 | $14,134 | $7,154 | $20,500 | $9,305 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2025 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $1,062 at California Institute of the Arts. The books & supplies cost has increased by 13.22% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,000 |
| 2022 | $2,500 |
| 2023 | $2,500 |
| 2024 | $938 |
| 2025 | $1,062 |
Tuition Per Credit Hour
The 2025 undergraduate tuition per credit hour at California Institute of the Arts is $1,877 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 3.42% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition per credit hour is $1,943 on average. The graduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 13.36% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition per credit hour and its trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,762 | $1,762 |
| 2022 | $1,762 | $1,762 |
| 2023 | $1,815 | $1,815 |
| 2024 | $1,815 | $1,714 |
| 2025 | $1,877 | $1,943 |