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.
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 first 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.
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 (100% of our faculty are professional practitioners). The strong mentorship culture at CCA is bolstered by our 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with an average of only 12 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 the #9 most diverse college in California.
The wide range of ideas, people, and creative practices on campus will give your work intelligence and depth. You’ll also have access to valuable career preparation tools, resources, and networking opportunities—including a CCA job and internship board, available beginning your first year on campus. These relevant experiences can inform your career as soon as you graduate. In fact, 81% of recent undergraduate alumni reported their CCA education was relevant to their first work experience.
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.
Experience our state-of-the-art campus expansion
All-new galleries, maker spaces, and more
We can’t wait to welcome you to our newly expanded campus. Opened in fall 2024, it features an additional 82,305 square feet of all-new maker spaces, classrooms, studios, and galleries in the heart of San Francisco. Sustainably designed indoor-outdoor vibes, new green spaces, and adaptable work areas ensure you can carry your imagination across disciplines and mediums. Located just across the street from your residence hall, our centralized campus means you’re never far from home or your studio.
The CCA student experience
Admissions Events
Your future at CCA is about to begin
RSVP to attend Admitted Student Day on April 5
Join us in San Francisco to celebrate your admission! Tour our newly expanded campus, look inside student housing, meet the faculty and instructors who will be your mentors, and get to know the CCA community. This event also offers opportunities to get more information to help you make your admissions decision: meet one-on-one with a financial aid counselor, hear from our alums and their experiences at CCA and after graduation, and meet the staff who support CCA students in all facets of college life.
Meet CCA where you are
If you're unable to travel to San Francisco for Admitted Student Day on April 5, we’re hosting receptions for newly admitted CCA students in select cities in the U.S. and around the world! We are excited to welcome you to our CCA community and to answer any questions you may have about attending an art and design college and living in San Francisco as you consider your admissions decision.
Locate a city near you on one of the dates listed below. Please note that these events require advance registration to attend. Registration details will be sent via email.
U.S.
- New York, NY
Saturday, April 19, 11:30 am–1:30 pm - Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, April 13, 1–3 pm - Seattle, WA
Thursday, April 17, 7–9 pm - Miami, FL
Thursday, April 17, 6:30–8:30 pm
Canada
- Vancouver, BC
Saturday, April 12, 1:15–3:15 pm
China
- Beijing
Saturday, March 29, 2–4 pm - Shenzhen
Sunday, March 30, 2–4 pm
India
- Mumbai
Sunday, March 23, 2–4 pm - New Delhi
Saturday, March 22, 2–4 pm
Virtual admitted student events
We're also hosting virtual sessions for our admitted students and their families to get to know CCA from wherever you are. Hear about student life in San Francisco, learn about how your experience at the college sets you up for a creative career, chat with current CCA parents, and learn more about housing on campus. Join us on Zoom to get answers to all your questions about CCA.
No pre-registration is required; links to join these events on Zoom will be sent to your email!
POV: Living in San Francisco
Wednesday, March 5, 5–6 pm (PDT)
Our location in the heart of San Francisco will inspire your artistic practice, connect you to industry, and enrich your life outside the studio. We can't wait to share what we love about SF and answer your questions about what it's really like to live here.
Careers in Art and Design
Wednesday, March 26, 5–6 pm (PDT)
Learn about where a degree in art or design can take you! We’ll talk about career pathways and opportunities, how art school uniquely prepares students for careers in these fields with internships and industry connections, and we’ll share what some of our alumni are doing now.
Meet CCA Housing, Dining, and ResEd
Wednesday, April 17, 5–6 pm (PDT)
Meet our housing staff, learn about our facilities and amenities, understand dining options and meal plans, and get answers to frequently asked housing questions.
Parent Perspectives: Speak with current CCA parents
Thursday, April 24, 5–6 pm (PDT)
Hear from families of current CCA students about their experiences of sending their students to CCA! Bring all your questions and get valuable insights only another parent or guardian can provide.
Q&A for families of admitted students in China
Friday, April 18, 7–8 pm (PDT)
Ask questions about the international student experience at CCA! Mandarin-speaking staff members will attend this event to help facilitate conversation for families of our incoming students from China.
Virtual financial aid workshops
Led by a CCA financial aid counselor, these virtual sessions will go over how to read your financial aid offer letter, how to utilize the What Will I Owe? Estimator, and answer your questions about the different types of aid, disbursement, and financing options.
No pre-registration is required; links to join these events on Zoom will be sent to your email!
Admitted student financial aid workshops
Wednesday, March 12, 5–5:30 pm (PDT)
Monday, April 23, 5–5:30 pm (PDT)
Campus tours for admitted students
We offer weekly campus tours on Mondays and Fridays at 10:15 am, guided by a CCA staff member or student ambassador. Additionally, we will be offering tours on select Saturdays throughout the spring. All guests must register in advance, as we cannot accommodate walk-in guests or unaccompanied visitors on campus.
Offer of Admission
Understand the big picture before deciding
Review all your information
We’re excited to have you join CCA, but we know choosing a college is an important decision for both you and your family. That’s why we’re committed to providing you with everything you need to understand your offer as you make your acceptance decision.
You should also learn about steps to take for financial aid eligibility, 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
Learn what steps to take for financial aid eligibility
Our offer of admission may have included a merit scholarship from CCA. However, you may also qualify for additional need-based federal, state, or institutional aid by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) based on your citizenship status and state of residence.
U.S. Citizens
U.S. citizens will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and include CCA's federal school code 001127.
Undocumented students
Undocumented students, Dreamers, and DACA recipients residing in California should plan to complete the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) instead of the FAFSA.
Undocumented students, Dreamers, and DACA recipients residing outside of California can apply for need-based aid with an institutional form from CCA that does not require a social security number. This form will be provided by your admissions counselor after you apply to CCA.
California residents
The deadline to submit the FAFSA or CADAA for Cal Grant eligibility is March 3, 2025. California residents—both U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens—seeking federal and state aid should complete either the FAFSA or CADAA by this date.
International students
International students are not eligible for federal and state financial aid and do not need to fill out the forms mentioned above.
Financial aid videos
These short videos will help you understand the financial aid process at CCA and provide an overview of the financial aid offer letter, cost of attendance at CCA, and additional aid options.
Invest in your future
Transfer Credit
View your transfer information in one location
Transfer students make valuable contributions to CCA
If you are transferring credits to CCA, you can view a preliminary transfer credit report within two weeks of receiving your offer of admission.
To review any preliminary transfer credit:
- Log in to the CCA Undergraduate Applicant page
- Select Fall 2025 Application under Your Applications
- Click on Reports/Preliminary Transfer Credit Report to view your Preliminary Transfer Credit Report
The Office of Admissions will follow up with an email with how your transfer credit could apply toward your degree at CCA. This process may take up to two weeks.
Campus Housing
Live in modern campus communities
Make connections and thrive
Our welcoming 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, residential programming, and a meal plan centered in our brand new cafe. This makes it much 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 and Greets
Exterior view of CCA's Founders Hall. Photo by Richard Barnes.
Founders Hall
Our contemporary residence hall at 188 Hooper Street opened in fall 2020.
- 500 students (first- and second-year students)
- Located on 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, a top-floor terrace, and modern sustainable amenities
Submit Your Deposit
Accept your offer by making an enrollment deposit
Fall 2025 students: Declare your intent
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, 2025, or within two weeks of receiving your offer of admission, whichever is later.
To sign in, 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).
Undergraduate applicants can postpone their enrollment for up to one year with an enrollment deposit of $300. All requests to postpone enrollment must be made before the first day of classes. Requests to postpone must be sent by email to [email protected].
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 go through the Enrollment Checklist: obtain your I-20 and F-1 visa (if you’re an international student), apply for campus housing, select your dining plan, register for classes, and prepare 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 admission 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, 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. Connect with us via WhatsApp: +1 415-548-9425.
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] or call +1 415-703-9528.
Take the first step in accepting your CCA admission