Graduate Admitted Student Next Steps
Congratulations, and welcome to California College of the Arts. We think you’ll make significant creative and intellectual contributions to our dynamic community of artists, designers, architects, and writers. The following steps will help you understand the scope of this opportunity and confirm your enrollment at CCA.
Choose CCA
Grow your career on our all-new expanded campus in the heart of San Francisco
As a California College of the Arts graduate student, you’ll advance your skills in a region with worldwide influence, at a college renowned for its ingenuity and originality. CCA is a one-of-a-kind place that will foster your artistic and academic excellence as you deepen your practice. Our interdisciplinary community strives every day to solve social, cultural, ecological, and economic problems.
We proudly extend to you an invitation to join us in our evolving urban laboratory. You’ll explore emerging domains of practice that both master and move beyond traditional notions. You’ll refine your work through rigorous critical study of your discipline. You’ll absorb and connect to adjacent disciplinary practices, unfolding and intersecting ideas in profound new ways.
Join this inclusive and collaborative environment and pursue work that makes a difference for all.
A diverse community grounded in a culture of critique
CCA is a sanctuary for risk-taking and personal expression, deeply engaged in the dynamic culture and radical thinking emblematic of the Bay Area. At every turn, our graduate students are empowered to positively impact people’s lives and the world in which they live. Moreover, art college rankings position CCA as one of the best art and design schools in California, the United States, and the world. From greatest salary potential to most sustainable to overall best value, our accolades are bolstered by innovative facilities, interdisciplinary programs, and expert faculty that have made CCA a top-tier college.
Our graduate programs’ distinguished faculty are internationally renowned artists, critics, curators, and scholars. Their extensive work with institutions, industries, and communities across myriad disciplines gives graduate students a wide collective pool of expertise from which to draw as they formulate and refine their own individuated practices and positions. With over 350 graduate students, CCA’s average number of graduate students per class is 9—a fact that underlines our strong mentorship culture.
The range of ideas, people, and creative practices on campus will also give your work intelligence and depth. CCA was ranked in the top 30 on Niche’s 2024 list of the most diverse colleges in the U.S., and 42 countries are represented among our entire student body. Our Career Development team will provide access to tools, events, networking opportunities, and a CCA job board beginning as soon as you get to campus. Of recent graduate alumni, 85% reported their CCA education was relevant to their first work experience and 81% obtained work within 12 months of graduating.
Our graduates are highly sought-after by companies such as Pixar/Disney, Apple, Intel, Facebook, Gensler, Google, IDEO, Autodesk, Mattel, and Nike, and many have launched their own successful businesses. Alumni and faculty are often recognized with the highest honors in their fields, including Academy Awards, AIGA Medals, Fulbright Scholarships, Guggenheim Fellowships, MacArthur Fellowships, National Medals of Art, Rome Prizes, and more.
The CCA experience
Admitted Student Events
Engage with CCA at an informational event
Meet CCA where you are
We're excited to welcome our newly admitted graduate students from around the world to the CCA community.
Meet your faculty and fellow students in your cohort
These program-specific virtual sessions will offer you an opportunity to connect with faculty about the curriculum and degree outcomes, philosophy, and expectations of their program and answer any outstanding questions as you make your admissions decision or prepare for enrollment.
All event times are Pacific Standard Time.
- MFA Writing: Monday, April 8, 5-6:30 pm
- MDes Interaction Design: Tuesday, April 9, 7-8:30 am
- MFA Comics: Tuesday, April 9, 5-6:30 pm
- MAAD/MArch: Wednesday, April 10, 6:30-8 pm
- MBA Design Strategy: Monday, April 15, 5-6:30 pm
- MFA Design: Tuesday, April 16, 5-6:30 pm
- MA Visual & Cultural Studies: Wednesday, April 15, 3:30-5 pm
- MFA Fine Arts: Thursday, April 18, 5-6:30 pm
- MFA Film: Tuesday, April 23, 5-6:30 pm
Take a tour of CCA
Take a look inside the shops and studios at CCA and join us at a weekly in-person tour of our campus. If you are not able to travel to San Francisco, take a virtual tour. CCA tours are by pre-registration.
Offer of Admission
Understand your complete offer
Review all your information
We’re certain you belong at CCA, but we know attending graduate school is an important investment of time and financial resources. That’s why we ensure you can understand all aspects of your offer—information you’ll need as you make your decision to enroll at CCA.
The admissions offer you received indicates the semester you’ll start attending CCA. You can also review your financial aid and explore your housing options online. If you have any questions along the way, reach out to our teams for answers.
If you already know you’d like to accept your offer and attend CCA, you can submit your enrollment deposit now and get started with the next steps.
Financial Aid
View your financial aid information in one location
Economic diversity is integral to CCA
Your offer of admission may have included merit or programmatic scholarship from CCA. If you are eligible and completed the necessary forms, your financial aid award offer may also include federal and state financial aid.
Domestic students
- For U.S. citizens, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and include CCA's federal school code 001127.
- CCA offers need-based financial aid for undocumented, DACA, and Dreamer students. Learn how to apply.
International students
International students are not eligible for federal and state financial aid, and do not need to fill out the forms mentioned above. If you are an international student with financial need, we encourage you to reach out to our Graduate Admissions Office by emailing [email protected], or you may also explore additional financial aid information and resources for international students.
Invest in your future
Campus Housing
Live in a brand new campus community
Interior view of Makers Cafe in CCA's Founders Hall.
Enjoy the convenience of living on campus
CCA offers 9-month and summer lease options, depending on the instruction times of your program. Our summer lease is available to all incoming graduate students; however, it’s particularly relevant for MDes Interaction Design and MFA Comics students because both programs have required coursework over the summer semester. Learn more about graduate housing options.
Here’s a look at housing accommodations in Blattner Hall or Founders Hall that are available to graduate students at CCA. You can apply to live in one of these communities after you submit your enrollment deposit.
Blattner Hall
Located just three blocks away from our campus in San Francisco, Blattner Hall offers an apartment-style community with spacious two- and four-bedroom units that are fully furnished, with full kitchens and modern amenities. This student residence, which opened in 2019, features ground-floor retail space, outdoor courtyards, a large community gathering space, and views of the San Francisco campus and skyline. Learn more about Blattner Hall amenities and rates.
Founders Hall
Across the street from CCA's main building, Founders Hall offers a limited number of fully furnished studio and suite-style units for graduate students. The ground floor of the building is home to CCA's dining facility, Makers Cafe, where residents of both Founders and Blattner can utilize convenient meal plans. Learn more about Founders Hall amenities and rates.
Submit Your Deposit
Declare your intent to attend CCA
Accept your offer by making an enrollment deposit
Your journey as a CCA graduate student starts with your intent to enroll. To confirm your attendance, sign in to your CCA applicant page to accept your offer of admission and pay the $500 enrollment deposit by the deadlines below.
MFA Comics program only
- April 1 – Make enrollment deposit and accept scholarship offer for recipients of Visionary Practice, Named and Endowed, or Merit scholarships
- April 15 – Enrollment deposit deadline
All other graduate programs
- April 15 – Make enrollment deposit and accept scholarship offer for recipients of Visionary Practice, Named, and Endowed, or Merit scholarships
- May 1 – Enrollment deposit deadline
Access your applicant page to accept your offer
When you submitted your application via Slideroom, the information you provided was used to administratively create an account on CCA's applicant page for you to access your application status. You may have already received an email instructing you to set your password for this applicant page account.
To access the applicant page for the first time, use the same email address you used to apply via Slideroom and use the "forgot password" feature to trigger an email for you to set a password. Please do not create a new account; it will not connect to your application.
Once you're signed in, select your application, follow the instructions to accept the offer of admission, and submit the non-refundable deposit, which is used to cover registration fees and enrollment costs.
Go to Next Steps
After you’ve deposited, here’s what’s next
Select housing, prep your tech, and more
After you’ve made your enrollment deposit, it’s time to follow the Graduate Enrollment Checklist, which includes obtaining your I-20 and F-1 visa (if you’re an international student), applying for campus housing, reviewing technology requirements, and signing up for Student Health Insurance, among other tasks.
Key Dates
The graduate enrollment process timeline
Contact Us
Take the next steps with full support
Our teams are here to help
With your admission to CCA, you’ve achieved the first step toward academic, artistic, and personal achievement. With our dedicated teams of counselors, you have someone who can answer your questions the rest of the way.
Admissions
We can talk you through your admission offer, schedule a visit to campus, and more. Make an appointment.
Housing
For questions regarding graduate housing opportunities; residential hall security, amenities, and accessibility; or submitting your housing application, email [email protected].
Financial Aid
Reach out to us with any financial aid or payment-related questions—from how to understand your award package to how to submit a payment. You can also email [email protected] or call +1 415-703-9528 if you need additional support.
Take the first step in accepting your CCA admission