Estimated Cost of Attendance

Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of students’ educational expenses for the period of enrollment. The cost of attendance is determined by your living arrangement--it is based on whether you live on campus, off campus, or at home (such as with a parent), as well as your academic level. The COA includes many aspects of the cost of attending CalArts, such as tuition, fees, housing, and food. The COA sets a limit on the total aid that a student may receive for a given academic year.

• Billable (Direct) Costs: Direct costs are the actual charges that a student is billed by the CalArts accounting department. This includes tuition and fees, as well as housing and food if the student is living on campus.
• Estimated (Indirect) Costs: Indirect costs are other estimated auxiliary costs associated with attending CalArts. These are not set amounts that a student must pay, but are provided to help students estimate a total cost of attendance for a year of enrollment at CalArts. Indirect costs include transportation, personal expenses, books and supplies, and housing and food expenses if the student is not living on campus.

Updated federal regulations have affected the methods by which universities create their Costs of Attendance starting with the 2024-2025 academic year. Some of the changes include using the average or higher housing charges for the housing component of the COA and incorporating 21 total meals per week in the estimate for the food component of the COA. These estimates may raise the total estimated COA for students living on campus; however, it is not indicative of billable rate increases or the exact amount that you will pay. Please refer to the itemized tuition and fees schedule for those billable charges.

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Read more about low-residency and the degree requirements for MA Aesthetics and Politics