American Musical and Dramatic Academy vs California Institute of the Arts

American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) stand out as premier institutions for aspiring artists, each offering unique educational experiences. AMDA, with campuses in New York City and Los Angeles, boasts a 100% acceptance rate and is renowned for its focus on musical theater, acting, and dance. CalArts, located in Valencia, California, has a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 35% and is known for its comprehensive arts education, encompassing theater, music, dance, film, and visual arts. While both institutions offer a vibrant student life and opportunities for artistic growth, their distinct acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates reflect their individual strengths and cater to different artistic aspirations. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your artistic goals and academic preferences.

	American Musical and Dramatic Academy	California Institute of the Arts
Overview
Location	New York, New York	Valencia, California
Campus setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	90.0%	94.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	22.1%	29.0%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	9,727	2,364
Total number of admissions given out	2,146	685
Admitted students who chose to enroll	440	203
Yield rate	20.5%	29.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$62,240	$79,792
Average net price	$44,797	$53,916
Tuition	$42,660	$52,850
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,280 Meal plan: $4,300	Room/dormitory: $7,040 Meal plan: $5,095
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $15,981	99.0% Average amount $18,119
Students receiving federal student loan	78.0% Average amount $6,292	26.0% Average amount $5,615
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $28,752	1.0% Average amount $12,000

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,656 Men 28.8% Women 71.2%	965 Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
Graduate students	10 Men 30.0% Women 70.0%	479 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	11.5%	29.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,407	441
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology English Language and Literature Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	7:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.3%	71.9%
Dropout rate	28.7%	28.1%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $17,049 Year 2: $17,227 Year 3: $20,298 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,784 Year 2: $16,437 Year 3: $20,069	Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $24,469 Year 2: $32,563 Year 3: $36,735 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $14,239 Year 2: $23,456 Year 3: $29,527 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $29,030 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,555 Year 2: $22,420 Year 3: $28,984 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $17,629 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $28,791 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,992 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $22,579 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $15,918 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $21,662 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $26,425 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $21,635 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,773 Year 2: $15,182 Year 3: N/A Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,840 Year 3: N/A

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American Musical and Dramatic Academy vs California Institute of the Arts

American Musical and Dramatic Academy

California Institute of the Arts

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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