Undergraduate Admitted Student Next Steps
Congratulations! You’ve been admitted to attend a top art and design school in the country, at one of the most exciting times in its history. These steps will help you understand your offer and submit a deposit to accept your admission to CCA. We can’t wait to see what you do here.
Looking forward to fall 2021
We’re excited to welcome our newly admitted students into this community, and we look forward to eventually welcoming all of our students back to campus through careful planning and practical guidelines. In planning for the fall 2021 semester, we’ve created a flexible framework that allows us to move forward thoughtfully and adjust as deemed necessary. Learn about our return to campus plan.
Choose CCA
A top tier college laser-focused on art and design
Grow your skills in a region with worldwide influence
California College of the Arts admits students from around the world who are driven, diverse, original, socially conscious cultural-transformation-makers committed to changing the world and themselves through art and design. We think you’ll fit right in.
You should now schedule an Admitted Student Appointment to go over your offer with an admissions counselor or, if you already know your answer is yes!, submit your enrollment deposit to declare your acceptance.
You’re going to make it extra awesome here.
Launch your creative career at CCA
At CCA, you’ll be immersed in the radical spirit that makes the San Francisco Bay Area so legendary. You’ll learn from experienced artists, architects, designers, and writers continually engaged with the modern challenges and opportunities in your field (88% of our faculty are professional practitioners). The strong mentorship culture at CCA is bolstered by our 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with an average of only 10 students per class.
Our undergraduate students embrace risk-taking and are fueled by CCA’s Chimera spirit. The Chimera, a mythical creature made up of many diverse parts, is our unofficial mascot and represents a mindset that believes we’re better together. In fact, CCA is ranked as one of the top 20 most diverse colleges in the U.S.
The range of ideas, people, and creative practices on campus will give your work intelligence and depth, while our Career Development team will provide access to tools, events, networking opportunities, and a CCA job and internship board beginning your first year on campus. According to our survey of recent alumni, 78% of undergraduates work in a field related to their CCA training.
Together, our interdisciplinary community understands the evolution of creative economies and their increasingly important role in solving social, cultural, environmental, and economic problems. And we want you to be part of it—starting now.
The CCA student experience
Your experience will be truly groundbreaking
CCA was founded in 1907 by a gamechanger of the time named Frederick Meyer, and today, we’re making another bold move: The college is currently expanding the San Francisco campus, with future plans to unite our academic programs in one location. We’ve added two new buildings, transformed into a residential campus with a new dining hall and rooms for 500+ students, and are creating hybrid making spaces that will enable our interdisciplinary mission like never before.
You’ll be among the first to benefit from this unique environment, building your creative community right in the center of campus. The contributions you make during your time at CCA will help define what a socially engaged, sustainable art and design practice looks like in the future.
Virtual Admissions Events
Your future at CCA is about to begin
Join us at these virtual admitted student events to learn more about CCA! Mark your calendar now, and check your email for Zoom links to join.
- Tuesday, March 16, 5 pm PT – Your First Year at CCA: Core Studio and First Year Experience
- Thursday, March 25, 5 pm PT – Exploring Interdisciplinarity and Electives at CCA
- Thursday, April 1, 4 pm and 7 pm PT – First Thursday Forums (see below)
- Friday, April 2, 8 pm PT – CCA Student Perspectives: Talk to Current Students
- Wednesday, April 7, 5 pm PT – Transfer Students: Learn about Individualized Studies at CCA
- Thursday, April 8, 5 pm PT – CCA Student Perspectives: Talk to Current Students
- Tuesday, April 13, 5 pm PT – Housing, Dining, and Residential Education at CCA
- Friday, April 16, 6 pm PT – Welcoming our Admitted International Students
- Friday, April 23, 6 pm PT – Online Instruction in Animation and Illustration
- Friday, April 23, 6 pm PT – Online Instruction in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, and Industrial Design
- Saturday, April 24, noon PT – Transfer Student Alumni Journeys
- Thursday, May 6, 4 pm and 7 pm PT – First Thursday Forum (see below)
- Thursday, June 3, 4 pm and 7 pm PT – First Thursday Forum (see below)
First Thursday Forums
On the first Thursday of April, May, and June, CCA leadership will answer questions of new incoming students and families and provide updates about CCA’s return-to-campus plan, the enrollment process, housing, health and safety, and more.
In an effort to be accessible to more time zones, we will host sessions at 4 pm and 7 pm PT. We’ll present the same information at both times, so we encourage you to join us for whichever session better suits your schedule. Check your email for invites with the links to join the Zoom session.
Offer of Admission
Understand the big picture before deciding
Review all your information
We’re excited to have you join CCA, but we know coming to college is a big choice, for both you and your family. That’s why we ensure you can understand all aspects of your offer—information you’ll need as you make your acceptance decision.
You should also review your financial aid, review your transfer credits, schedule an Admitted Student Appointment to go over your offer with an admissions counselor, and explore your housing options online. If you already know you’d like to accept your offer and attend CCA, awesome! 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
To view your financial aid offer online, log in to the CCA Undergraduate Applicant Page, click on View My Financial Aid Packages, and click on your program for the appropriate academic year.
If you have any requirements to complete your financial aid application (for example, if you have been selected for verification), you can also view and upload documentation on the CCA Undergraduate Applicant Page by clicking on My Financial Aid Requirements.
Invest in your future
Transfer Credit
View your transfer information in one location
Transfer students make valuable contributions to CCA
To view your transfer credit online, log in to the CCA Undergraduate Applicant Page, click on Apply for Undergraduate Admissions to CCA, and select your completed application. Scroll down to the section labeled Reports and click to view your Preliminary Transfer Credit Report.
Campus Housing
Live in brand new campus communities
Make connections and thrive
Our newest residence hall in the center of our San Francisco campus is home to most of CCA’s first- and second-year resident students. You’ll live on campus for your first two years and have access to on-site social events, counseling services, and residential programming—and a meal plan centered in our brand new cafe—which make it easier to get to know your peers, your neighbors, and yourself. Recent residence hall activities include:
- Language Lounges
- “Know the Bay” Group Trips
- Resident Advisor Socials
- Reverse Trick or Treat
- Welcome Week
- Meet + Greets
Exterior view of CCA's Founders Hall Main Building on the San Francisco campus. Photo by Richard Barnes.
Founders Hall
Be among the first to live here. Our newest residence hall at 188 Hooper Street opened in fall 2020.
- 500 students (first- and second-year students)
- Located on CCA’s San Francisco campus, Founders Hall's doors open directly into a courtyard that connects to first-year studios next door
- Building features include a cafe for student meal plans, a convenience store, bike space, top-floor terrace, and modern sustainable amenities
- Per current public health recommendations, and until guidance deems it safe to do otherwise, all students living in campus housing are assigned single occupancy rooms that have their own private bathrooms to accommodate physical distancing.
Submit Your Deposit
Accept your offer by making an enrollment deposit
Fall 2021 students: Declare your intent by May 1
Your journey as a CCA student starts with your intent to enroll. To confirm your attendance, sign in to the CCA applicant page to accept your offer of admission and submit the $300 deposit by May 1, 2021, or within two weeks of receiving your offer of admission, whichever is later.
To sign, you’ll use the same email address you used to apply to CCA. (Yep, even if you applied through CommonApp!) If you have any trouble logging in, use the “reset password” feature.
Once you’re signed in, select your application and follow the instructions to accept the offer of admission and submit the enrollment deposit. This non-refundable deposit covers your enrollment ($185) and registration fees ($115).
Go to Next Steps
After you’ve deposited, here’s what’s next
Select housing, a dining plan, and more
After you’ve made your enrollment deposit, it’s time to follow the Enrollment Checklist, which includes obtaining your I-20 and F-1 visa (if you’re an international student), applying for campus housing, selecting your dining plan, registering for classes, and preparing to attend orientation.
Key Dates
Let the countdown to campus begin
Don’t miss these moments in the enrollment process
Be sure to plan accordingly—mark your calendar now.
Contact Us
Take the next steps with full support
Our teams are here to help
With your acceptance to CCA, you’ve achieved the first step toward academic, artistic, and personal fulfillment—enjoy it! We know that the next steps and the cost of tuition may seem overwhelming at first, but with our dedicated teams of counselors, you have someone who can answer any questions every step of the way.
Admissions
Schedule an appointment with a counselor
Housing
For questions regarding housing opportunities, residential hall security, 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], call +1 415-703-9528.
Take the first step in accepting your CCA admission