California College of the Arts Acceptance Rate
San Francisco, California · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 3,661
- Admitted
- 2,687
- Yield
- 6.9%
- Test policy
- Test-blind
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, California College of the Arts's acceptance rate has risen from 63.7% in 2014–15 to 73.4% in 2023–24. Applications grew from 2,005 to 3,661 (+83%) over that period.
Its 73.4% rate makes California College of the Arts more selective than about 55% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 84 tracked California schools, it is more selective than about 46%.
In 2023–24, women were admitted at a higher rate (75.8% for women vs 66.9% for men, a 8.9-point gap). California College of the Arts has been test-blind (scores not considered) since 2015–16. Of admitted students, 6.9% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 2,005 | 1,277 | 63.7% | 272 |
| 2015–16 | 1,990 | 1,364 | 68.5% | 241 |
| 2016–17 | 2,361 | 1,531 | 64.8% | 255 |
| 2017–18 | 2,005 | 1,277 | 63.7% | 273 |
| 2018–19 | 2,292 | 2,021 | 88.2% | 263 |
| 2019–20 | 2,578 | 2,192 | 85% | 248 |
| 2020–21 | 2,625 | 2,243 | 85.4% | 191 |
| 2021–22 | 2,847 | 2,210 | 77.6% | 209 |
| 2022–23 | 2,987 | 2,261 | 75.7% | 191 |
| 2023–24 | 3,661 | 2,687 | 73.4% | 186 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 2,644 | 2,005 | 75.8% |
| Men | 990 | 662 | 66.9% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-blind (not considered).
How California College of compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is California College of the Arts's acceptance rate?
California College of the Arts's acceptance rate is 73.4% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (2,687 admitted of 3,661 applicants).
Is California College of the Arts test optional?
California College of the Arts is test-blind: SAT/ACT scores are not considered in admission.
How many people apply to California College of the Arts?
California College of the Arts received 3,661 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 2,687.
Is California College of the Arts getting harder to get into?
California College of the Arts has become easier to get into: its acceptance rate went from 63.7% in 2014–15 to 73.4% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.cca.edu/.