California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California · Private, nonprofit
Graduate earnings
have graduates earning more than a typical California high-school graduate (about $36,976 a year). 2 fall short.
4 of 10 undergraduate programs could be assessed. The other 6 have no earnings published. The 14 graduate programs are in the table.
Average net price, all families$46,080 a year By family income
What it would cost
Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, as reported for students who received federal aid.
Average for all families
$46,080 a year
About $184,320 over 4 years, if price and aid stay the same.
This multiplies the reported yearly net price by the years you choose. It is not a quote or a prediction: it leaves out interest, price rises and the chance of taking longer to finish.
Net price for every income band
| Family income | Net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $26,686 |
| $30k to $48k | $40,899 |
| $48k to $75k | $51,847 |
| $75k to $110k | $38,627 |
| $110k and up | $58,873 |
| All families (average) | $46,080 |
College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Bands with no figure were not reported by the school.
Program earnings
Median earnings of each program’s graduates against a typical California high-school graduate ($36,976 a year).
9 of 24 programs could be assessed 38% have an earnings verdict
| Program | Degree | Median earnings | vs a high-school grad | Verdict | Median debt | Debt as years of gain | Recent completers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $40,294 | +$3,318 | clears the bar | $19,500 | 5.9 yrs | 43 |
| Music | Master's Degree | $29,494 | -$7,482 | below HS line | $44,150 | no earnings gain | 40 |
| Film and Photography | Master's Degree | $56,207 | +$19,231 | above HS line | $96,000 | 5.0 yrs | 38 |
| Theatre | Bachelor's Degree | $41,192 | +$4,216 | clears the bar | $27,000 | 6.4 yrs | 36 |
| Film and Photography | Bachelor's Degree | $29,426 | -$7,550 | falls short | $27,000 | no earnings gain | 28 |
| Fine Arts | Master's Degree | $24,720 | -$12,256 | below HS line | not published | not assessed | 25 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Master's Degree | $34,026 | -$2,950 | below HS line | $61,000 | no earnings gain | 20 |
| Theatre | Master's Degree | $57,920 | +$20,944 | above HS line | $109,180 | 5.2 yrs | 19 |
| Fine Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $28,617 | -$8,359 | falls short | $27,000 | no earnings gain | 19 |
| Graphic Communications | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 35 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 19 |
| Radio, TV and Digital Media | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 16 |
| Graphic Communications | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 15 |
| Dance | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 13 |
| Design | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 12 |
| Dance | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 8 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 3 |
| Music | Doctoral Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Design | Master's Degree | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Sources and definitions
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid. Debt is federal loans only.
- The high-school line is ED’s state benchmark, $36,976 a year.
- Earnings not published: ED reports the program but no earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were measured. Nothing reported: ED lists the program with no figures at all. Neither is a judgement of the program.
- Debt as years of gain is median federal debt divided by how much more graduates earn per year than a typical high-school graduate. It is not a repayment time.
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