California College of the Arts (CCA) and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) have established a formal teach-out agreement to provide a supportive pathway for eligible students to continue their studies at CalArts.

California Institute of the Arts, founded in 1961, is a private institution offering graduate and undergraduate programs in the visual, performing, media, and literary arts, and it is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Location: Valencia, CA
Website: CalArts academics

Financial support and scholarships

CalArts is committed to ensuring that, for most CCA students, the total cost of attendance (tuition, fees, and room and board) for the 2026–27 academic year will be no greater than what you would have incurred at CCA. To achieve this, CalArts will provide institutional scholarships, grants, and other forms of aid to maintain parity with your current cost of attendance.

For a small number of students with the highest levels of financial support at CCA, additional coordination may be required. CCA and CalArts will work together to identify options to support these students to the extent feasible.

Scholarship Matching: Teach-out partners base their financial aid and scholarship matches on your standard, baseline CCA institutional aid. One-time institutional aid such as the CCA Legacy Award ($5,000 for undergraduate students and $2,500 for graduate students), financial aid petitions, or other non-renewable aid is not factored into the teach-out matching calculations at any partner institution.

Students who are eligible to submit a FAFSA are encouraged to do so by April 1, 2027, in order to be considered for the full range of financial aid. Students who express interest in CalArts can expect to receive a detailed financial aid offer outlining their total financial aid package and cost of attendance.

Housing

CalArts offers on-campus and off-campus housing options. On-campus housing is subject to availability. Students will receive information about housing options and costs as part of their financial aid and enrollment process.

Residency requirement waiver

CalArts will waive its standard residency requirements for transferring CCA students. This means you can complete your degree without needing to meet CalArts’s minimum residency requirement (minimum units taken at CalArts), once all other graduation requirements are satisfied.

Streamlined admissions and waived fees

CalArts will admit CCA students in good academic standing into aligned programs without requiring a personal statement, essay, or portfolio. The primary exception is that, to join the BFA in Character Animation, a portfolio and artist statement is required to be considered for admission. In limited additional cases, such as students applying from outside the established program mappings, CalArts may request a portfolio to confirm appropriate program placement.

Students who are not in good academic standing at the time of transfer can still be considered for admission, but will be asked to submit additional materials (such as a portfolio or personal statement) for review.

There is no application fee. An enrollment deposit is required to enroll, but it will be applied to your tuition or other charges.

Credit and general education transfer

CalArts will accept all earned CCA credits, including credits previously accepted by CCA from other institutions, and will work to apply those credits toward your degree program. In addition, CalArts will accept all CCA-approved grades for credit, even if they do not meet CalArts’s typical minimum grade thresholds.

If you have completed CCA’s general education requirements, you will be considered to have satisfied all CalArts General Education requirements. If you have completed some, but not all, of these requirements, your coursework will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

International students

CalArts will waive any additional English-language proficiency testing or documentation requirements for international students transferring under this agreement, recognizing that CCA has already confirmed English-language proficiency for full admission and enrollment.

¹ STEM-designated program

² Students will be required to submit a portfolio and artist statement to be considered for admission into this program.

³ While CalArts offers substantial general facilities, it does not provide specialized resources for some specific craft practices.

⁴ CalArts will advise students on selecting between these programs.

⁵ Transfer credit will be assessed by CalArts individually depending on completed coursework and the program a student seeks to enroll in. A portfolio demonstrating ability in the selected major may also be required.

Step 1: Learn about your options
Attend upcoming virtual information sessions with CalArts and other teach-out partners. These sessions will provide program details and allow you to ask questions. Dates and registration information will be shared as they become available.

Step 2: Explore your pathway (optional)
Meet with a Transition Hub counselor to discuss your program options, transfer pathway, and how each partner aligns with your goals.

Step 3: Indicate your interest
CCA will soon share a brief interest form for students considering CalArts to allow partners to begin preparing to create a smooth pathway for you to transition in Fall 2027.

Step 4: Complete the application process
CalArts will provide a streamlined application pathway specifically for CCA students. Additional details and instructions will be shared once the process is available.

Step 5: Transcript and records exchange
CCA will securely transmit your official transcripts and relevant academic and financial records to CalArts as part of the transfer process.

Admissions contact
CalArts Office of Admissions
+1 661-255-1050
admissions@calarts.edu

CalArts Virtual Info Session
April 16 • 2:45–3:30 PM • Zoom link (TBA)