CalArts at-a-glance 2009/10

Established in 1961 by Walt and Roy Disney, the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is the nation's first higher education institute to offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in both the visual and performing arts. CalArts is dedicated to training and nurturing the next generation of professional artists, fostering brilliance and innovation within the broadest context possible. Admissions to CalArts is competitive and considered mainly on the basis of demonstrated talent, creativity and commitment. Other important considerations include educational records, recommendations and artist's statement.

Students

• 1,399 students from 49 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 35 nations
• 888 undergraduate students
• 504 graduate students
• Seven special non-degree students
• 61% are from out-of-state
• 51.0% female, 49.0% male
• International students represent 11.4% of the student body.
• U.S. Students are from diverse ethnicities and backgrounds: 66.2% Caucasian; 12.0% Asian-American; 12.0% Latino; 8.1% Black; 0.5% American Indian/Alaskan; and 1.2% Other
• Undergrad average age: 20.97
• Graduate student average age: 27.25
• 14,344 alumni (including Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Chouinard Art Institute)

Statistics

• 3,151 applications for the Fall 2009 semester
• 35% acceptance rate
• Six schools under one Institute:
  o    School of Art
  o    School of Critical Studies
  o    The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance
  o    School of Film/Video
  o    The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts
  o    School of Theater
• 303 faculty members
• 7:1 student faculty ratio
• Average class size: 14 students
• Concentrations: Film/Video (27.5%; Art (22.2%), Theater (20.5%), Music (19.4%), Dance (6.4%), Critical Studies (4% MFA Writing Program and MA in Aesthetics and Politics only)

Costs and Financial aid 2008-09

• $47 million annual operating budget 
• $88.5 million Endowment
• $34,830 yearly tuition
• Students with financial need: 74.4%
• 77% of students receive CalArts Gift Aid
  • 88% of our graduate students receive CalArts Gift Aid
  • 72% of our undergrads receive CalArts Gift Aid 

Distinctions

• In 2008, U.S. News & World Report names CalArts in its Top 10 rankings for: Fine Arts Schools, Graphic Design, Multimedia/Visual Communications, Sculpture and Photography. (Other programs offered by CalArts are not ranked by U.S. News.)

 Campus and environs

• Located 30 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles in Valencia, Calif., (in the the City of Santa Clarita)
• The center of campus life is a sprawling five-level, 500,000-square-foot building—equivalent to 11 acres of square footage—which houses all six schools.
• REDCAT, the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater is CalArts' downtown center for innovative visual, media and performing arts.

Updated: December 2009