California College of the Arts

About California College of the Arts

California College of the Arts is an independent, private nonprofit college focused on art, architecture, design, and writing. It began in Berkeley in 1907 as the School of the California Guild of Arts and Crafts, founded by Frederick Meyer. Its name evolved over time, becoming California College of the Arts in 2003. The institution now operates from its main campus at 145 Hooper Street in San Francisco. WSCUC lists the main campus as active and the institution as accredited. Its approved program inventory includes on-site bachelor’s and master’s degrees, confirming that CCA is a degree-granting higher-education institution rather than a training provider or department. CCA has announced, however, that it will close by the end of the 2026–27 academic year. It remains accredited during that period, and students graduating in Summer or Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 will receive CCA diplomas whose degrees remain permanently recognized. The closure fundamentally changes how readers should assess the college. CCA is continuing classes, capstones, exhibitions, theses, final projects, and commencement during its final academic year, but it is no longer building future entering classes. Vanderbilt University is expected to establish a new institution on the campus beginning in Fall 2027, with its own curriculum, requirements, and admissions process; that successor will not be CCA. This profile therefore describes an operating institution in its final teach-out year, not a conventional option for new applicants.

CCA is not accepting or reviewing applications and will not admit future cohorts. This applies to prospective undergraduate and graduate applicants, so the institution should not be treated as an available Fall 2026, Spring 2027, or later admissions choice. Previously published application requirements, acceptance figures, standardized-test data, and deadlines are no longer decision-useful for new applicants and should not be interpreted as current admissions policy. Students already admitted or enrolled are in a different position. CCA remains open for the 2026–27 academic year and expects qualifying students who finish by Spring 2027 to receive CCA degrees. Those unable to finish have access to finalized, program-specific teach-out agreements with ArtCenter College of Design, California Institute of the Arts, California State University East Bay, Pratt Institute, San Francisco State University, School of Visual Arts, and University of Redlands’ Los Angeles location. Eligibility and degree matches vary by program, and some partners may impose academic-standing or other conditions. CCA states that formal teach-out pathways generally require students to remain enrolled full time through Spring 2027. International students must separately address SEVIS transfer and immigration-status questions with International Student Services. Current students should use CCA’s Transition Hub to compare completion, acceleration, formal teach-out, and independent-transfer options; prospective students should apply directly to another operating institution instead.

CCA’s academic scope centers on creative disciplines rather than the broad general-purpose program list stored in the database metadata. WSCUC’s approved inventory includes bachelor’s study in areas such as animation, architecture, ceramics, comics, communication design, fashion design, film, game arts, illustration, industrial design, interaction design, interior design, painting and drawing, photography, sculpture, textiles, and writing and literature. Approved graduate fields include architecture, comics, design, film, fine arts, interaction design, visual and critical studies, writing, and design strategy. CCA does not appear in the cited accreditor inventory as a doctoral-degree institution. The college organizes its academic identity around art, design, architecture, and writing, with interdisciplinary work across those areas. Its facilities include classrooms, computer labs, shops, studios, and exhibition spaces intended for material and project-based learning. The published first-year studio information, for example, describes access to wood, metal, plaster, soft-material, and digital fabrication resources following required orientations. Academic planning in 2026–27 must be understood through the teach-out. CCA says courses, capstones, reviews, theses, exhibitions, final projects, and commencements will continue through closure. Students who cannot complete their degrees by Spring 2027 can examine program-specific pathways at partner institutions. Formal agreements cover only particular programs and may carry eligibility or academic-standing requirements. Current students should therefore confirm remaining requirements, Spring 2027 enrollment obligations, credit treatment, and the relevant partner pathway with transition advisers rather than assuming that every degree transfers in the same way.

Key Highlights

• Operating and accredited through the 2026–27 academic year
• Scheduled to close after Spring 2027
• Founded in 1907 and renamed California College of the Arts in 2003
• Vanderbilt’s planned Fall 2027 institution will be separate from CCA

Student Life & Environment

CCA’s student community is concentrated around creative practice, exhibitions, campus events, and organizations serving academic interests and student identities. The college’s student-life materials describe more than a dozen organizations, along with undergraduate Student Council, the Graduate Student Alliance, and resident-adviser roles. Examples have included the Students of Color Coalition, a Chinese students and scholars association, and an AIGA student chapter. Advising, learning resources, health and wellness support, and career development are also presented as parts of the student-support structure. For 2026–27, residential life is narrower than older descriptions of CCA housing may suggest. CCA states that Founders Hall is its residential option for the academic year and that Blattner Hall stopped operating for CCA residential students after Spring 2026. Founders Hall offers studio and suite configurations, with meal-plan requirements depending on whether a unit has a kitchenette. Published move-out is May 11, 2027. The teach-out is likely to shape the lived experience as much as regular campus programming. CCA says exhibitions, classes, commencement, shops, and studios will continue, while transition counseling and transfer planning are now central services. Students considering clubs, leadership positions, housing, or campus employment should verify that a particular activity will run during the final year rather than relying on undated or historical webpages.

Location & Surroundings

CCA’s active main campus is at 145 Hooper Street in San Francisco, in the city’s Design District. This is an urban setting oriented toward studios, shops, classrooms, galleries, and public-facing creative activity rather than a large, self-contained residential campus. The college connects its location with access to the Bay Area’s art, design, architecture, cultural, and technology communities. Students can encounter creative work both on campus and across San Francisco through museums, galleries, exhibitions, lectures, internships, and professional events. CCA’s Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts is an exhibition and research venue within the institution’s urban footprint. The location may be especially useful for students seeking professional exposure alongside studio study, but San Francisco housing and daily expenses require careful budgeting. Location planning must account for the transition. Founders Hall remains available for 2026–27, while Blattner Hall no longer houses CCA residential students. Vanderbilt is expected to own the campus and establish a separate institution after CCA closes; continued use of the site does not mean that CCA itself will remain open after Spring 2027.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For continuing students, CCA’s published 2026–27 undergraduate tuition is $60,864 for full-time study, or $30,432 per Fall or Spring term for 12–18 units. Undergraduate fees are listed as $900. Graduate tuition varies by program; CCA’s summary gives a 2026–27 range of $44,346 to $76,968. These figures apply to CCA’s final academic year and should not be projected beyond Spring 2027. Founders Hall academic-year housing ranges from $14,820 for a double studio to higher-priced private or suite configurations. Meal plans range from optional limited plans to required plans based on room facilities; for example, the Essential plan is $6,932 for the academic year and is required in Founders units without kitchens. Actual budgets also depend on supplies, transportation, food, personal expenses, and any applicable aid. Continuing students should compare their individual bill and financial-aid package rather than relying only on headline tuition. CCA offers career support through professional advisers and Handshake, including job and internship listings, portfolio and résumé review, interview preparation, career events, and guidance for freelance or entrepreneurial practice. No current salary or placement rate was verified, so career outcomes should not be inferred from these services alone. Because the institution is closing, students should also confirm how long particular career services, accounts, and alumni resources will remain available after Spring 2027.