More selective than 49% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $75,649. College Scorecard.
Higher than 76% of California colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 71% of California colleges we cover and 87% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Art Center College of Design acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,339 applicants, Art Center College of Design admitted 1,004 and 322 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Art Center College of Design tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
Art Center College of Design majors, earnings & careers
Art Center College of Design offers 8 bachelor's majors across 4 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 3
- Engineering · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Art Center College of Design
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering-Related Fields | $92,293 | $37,250 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $90,188 | $54,124 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $77,401 | — |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $76,093 | $31,050 |
| Film and Photography | $49,933 | $31,000 |
| Studio Art | $33,073 | — |
Quick list of all 8 majors
- Architectural Sciences and Technology$77,401
- Engineering-Related Fields$92,293
- Film and Photography$49,933
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$76,093
- Graphic Communications—
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$90,188
- Software and Media Applications—
- Studio Art$33,073
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Los Angeles
Overall prices in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,964. Housing costs 70% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 20 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); wildfire (very high); river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Los Angeles County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Los Angeles County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Art Center College of Design with similar schools
Similar private colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Center College of Design | 75% | $48,661 | 79% | $71,958 | This school |
| California Lutheran University | 76% | $30,109 | 70% | $68,712 | |
| Westmont College | 77% | $29,053 | 70% | $64,778 | |
| Dominican University of California | 84% | $35,333 | 78% | $84,713 | |
| University of Redlands | 83% | $30,031 | 67% | $72,690 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Art Center College of Design would cost you $18,552 more per year than California Lutheran University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Art Center College of Design.
- California Lutheran University gives aided families $11,329 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | Art Center College of Design | California Lutheran University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $75,649 | $68,426 | +$7,223 |
| Average grants | −$26,988 | −$38,317 | +$11,329 |
| You pay | $48,661 | $30,109 | +$18,552 |
“+” means Art Center College of Design costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Art Center College of Design
What is the Art Center College of Design acceptance rate?
Art Center College of Design accepts 75% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,004 of 1,339 applicants were admitted.
How much does Art Center College of Design cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $75,649 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $48,661 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $39,645 and families earning $110k+ pay $61,144.
How much do Art Center College of Design graduates earn?
Former Art Center College of Design students earn a median $71,958 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Art Center College of Design graduation rate?
79% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% return for their second year.
Is Art Center College of Design the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Art Center College of Design: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/art-center-college-of-design (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).