Active Report Report ID: EDU-490285-2026

California Institute of Arts & Technology

National City, CA 91950

Tuition$22,270Published sticker
Avg. net price$32,637After aid
Graduation rate56.10%150% time

About California Institute of Arts & Technology

California Institute of Arts & Technology is a private for-profit trade school in National City, California, enrolling about 2,112 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. Typical net price after grant aid is about $32,637 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $22,270. Student demographics in federal data include Two or More Races (30.5%) and Black or African American (26.7%) among the largest enrollment groups.

Key findings

  • California Institute of Arts & Technology charges 34% above the national private for-profit median tuition ($22,270).
  • Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 2.8×.
  • Completion within 150% of normal time is 56.10%.

Cost benchmarks

Benchmark Median Tuition Median Net Price Count
California Institute of Arts & Technology$22,270$32,6371
Private For-profit (national median)$16,637477
California (state median)$8,093$8,343287
Rural (locale median)$14,160$18,7001,649
United States (national median)$11,900$17,156

Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.

Cost

How expensive is California Institute of Arts & Technology really?

Source College Scorecard + EDsmart aggregatesMethod Sticker vs net; peer mediansUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Undergraduate (Title IV net price)Confidence Federal extract

Key findings

  • California Institute of Arts & Technology charges 34% above the national private for-profit median tuition ($22,270).
  • Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 2.8×.
Published sticker

California Institute of Arts & Technology tuition

Published undergraduate tuition $22,270

Finding California Institute of Arts & Technology charges 34% above the national private for-profit median tuition.

Evidence Published tuition is $22,270. That is 34% above the national private for-profit median ($16,637). Versus the California median ($8,093), sticker tuition is about 2.8×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 1.9×.

Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.

Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private for-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.

Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.

Evidence: published tuition at California Institute of Arts & Technology versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Evidence: average net price at California Institute of Arts & Technology versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Average net price

What undergraduates typically pay

Finding Average net price at California Institute of Arts & Technology is $32,637.

Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $32,637 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $24,294 above the California median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $13,937 above the locale median.

Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.

Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.

Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.

Key takeaway At California Institute of Arts & Technology, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.

School guide

California Institute of Arts & Technology: research record

Canonical EDsmart Data findings for California Institute of Arts & Technology—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.

Research findings

Interpretation

High completion indicates students finish programs at scale; it does not alone measure instructional quality or labor-market fit.

Financial profile

Annual tuition

$22,270

Avg. net price

$32,637

Net price by family income

Income bracketAvg. annual net price
$0–$30,000$32,923
$30,001–$48,000$31,973
$48,001–$75,000$31,903
$75,001–$110,000$34,811

Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $89,080. See cost investigation.

Student outcomes

First-year retention62.5%

Share of first-year students returning the following fall.

Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.

Is California Institute of Arts & Technology a good school?

Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.

California Institute of Arts & Technology is a good school for those looking for high program completion rates.

EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.

Campus snapshot

More from the data

Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for California Institute of Arts & Technology.

Campus

Location

National City, CA

City / state

ZIP
91950
NCES locale
Rural fringe

Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is 75% above the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).

Control

Institution type

Private For-profit

Control

Region
Far West
Carnegie
Special Focus Two-Year: Technical Professions

Size

Enrollment

2,112

Total enrollment

Undergraduate
3,669
Full-time share
100%

Student aid

Debt & aid

$22,209

Median federal loan debt

Pell grant share
31.72%
Cost detail

Total Cost, Aid & Default

Total Cost of Attendance

$130,548Estimated 4-year total cost
$32,637Average annual net price (after aid)
$89,0804-year tuition
$20,496Room & board (annual, on-campus estimate)
$1,124Books & supplies (annual estimate)
$43,890Estimated annual sticker (tuition + room/board + books)
$175,560Estimated 4-year sticker (before aid)

Tuition vs average net price after aid for California Institute of Arts & Technology.

Financial Aid by Income Level

31.72% Undergraduates receiving aid through grants
8.42% Undergraduates receiving aid through loans

Financial aid distribution by income level.

Student Loan Default Rate

0.00% 3-year cohort default rate (College Scorecard)

The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at California Institute of Arts & Technology was 0.00%.

Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.

Multi-year tracker

Tuition tracker

Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for California Institute of Arts & Technology in that year.

Reporting years in the table below: 20172023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).

Year In-state tuition & fees Out-of-state tuition & fees Average net price
2017$14,040$14,040
2018$14,040$14,040$36,119
2019$14,040$14,040$34,643
2020$15,390$15,390$30,633
2021$15,390$15,390$35,885
2022$15,390$15,390$35,758
2023$15,390$15,390$34,183

Sticker tuition and net price over time

Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.

College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).

Net price by family income

Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).

Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.

Access

How difficult is it to get in?

Acceptance Rate

Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.

Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.

Test Scores

Test score data is not available for this institution.

Score distribution is not available for this institution.

Academic Requirements

GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.

Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.

Student body

Enrollment & Student Demographics

California Institute of Arts & Technology reported total enrollment of about 2,112 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 84% male and 16% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Two or More Races (30.5%), Black or African American (26.7%), and White (20.0%). About 31.72% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

100.0% Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at California Institute of Arts & Technology in 2024 is 2,112 students.

Undergraduate enrollment is about 3,669 students.

Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.

Retention Rate over Time

62.5%
2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.

Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

30.5%Two or More Races
9Reported race/ethnicity groups

Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.

  • Two or More Races30.5%
  • Black or African American26.7%
  • White or Caucasian20.0%
  • Hispanic or Latino14.7%
  • Asian6.6%
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander1.0%
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0.5%
  • Non-Resident Alien0.0%
  • Race/ethnicity unknown0.0%

College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).

Outcomes

Do students complete their programs?

Time to Complete

0.00% 100% Completion Time

56.10% 150% Completion Time

In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from California Institute of Arts & Technology completed their program within 100% "normal time".

Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.

Completions by Sex (Top Programs)

  • Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance: 82% male / 18% female
  • Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician: 82% male / 18% female
  • Cloud Computing: 80% male / 20% female

IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).

Completions by Race & Ethnicity

203Two or More Races
7Reported groups

Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.

  • Two or More Races203
  • Black or African American200
  • White or Caucasian186
  • Hispanic or Latino117
  • Asian52
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander7
  • American Indian or Alaska Native6

Summed across program completion records in our extract.

Outcomes & academic profile

What do California Institute of Arts & Technology graduates earn—and in which programs?

Source College ScorecardMethod Earnings + debt + net price modelsUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Institution-wideConfidence Federal extract

Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of California Institute of Arts & Technology.

Evidence Median federal loan debt: $22,209. Average net price used in cost models: $32,637.

Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.

Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.

Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.

Return on Investment

$22,209Median student debt

Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for California Institute of Arts & Technology.

Top Programs by Completions

Largest 7 programs by IPEDS completions (8 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).

  1. Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician 112
  2. Computer Software and Media Applications, Other 43
  3. Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst 2

IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at California Institute of Arts & Technology.

Employment Outcomes

Employment outcome data is not available for this institution.

Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for California Institute of Arts & Technology graduates.

Institutional resources

Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for California Institute of Arts & Technology—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.

Instructional Resources

  • Full-time faculty share: 53.7%
    • California median 14.4 pp above median (39.3%)
    • Far West median 8.0 pp above median (45.7%)
    • U.S. median 4.2 pp below median (58.0%)
  • Average faculty salary (monthly): $5,595
    • California median 0.55× the median ($10,166)
    • Far West median 0.58× the median ($9,635)
    • U.S. median 0.73× the median ($7,615)
  • Instructional expenditure per FTE: N/A
    • California median 0.00× the median ($6,474)
    • Far West median 0.00× the median ($7,030)
    • U.S. median 0.00× the median ($7,288)

Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.

Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.

California Institute of Arts & Technology at a glance

Institution snapshot

California Institute of Arts & Technology

National City, CA 91950 · Private For-profit · Far West

California Institute of Arts & Technology is a private for-profit institution in National City, CA, classified as Special Focus Two-Year: Technical Professions.

Tuition$22,270
Avg. net price$32,637
Enrollment2,112
Completion (150%)56.10%
Pell Grant share31.72%
Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information AssuranceComputer/Computer Systems Technology/TechnicianCloud Computing
Largest enrollment groups
Two or More Races30.5%
Black or African American26.7%
White or Caucasian20.0%
Nearby

Schools near California Institute of Arts & Technology

Other campuses in National City, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.

Peers

Similar schools

Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade D) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is California Institute of Arts & Technology located?

California Institute of Arts & Technology is located in National City, CA.

What is California Institute of Arts & Technology's tuition?

California Institute of Arts & Technology tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $22,270 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $32,637 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.

How much does California Institute of Arts & Technology cost?

Reported tuition is $22,270 and average net price is $32,637 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $20,496 annually.

What is the student body demographics at California Institute of Arts & Technology?

California Institute of Arts & Technology reports undergraduate enrollment of about 3,669 students, Two or More Races (30.5%), Black or African American (26.7%) in federal College Scorecard data.

What is the graduation rate at California Institute of Arts & Technology?

The 150%-time completion rate is 56.1% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.

How much debt do California Institute of Arts & Technology students have?

Median federal loan debt among completers is $22,209.

Is California Institute of Arts & Technology public or private?

California Institute of Arts & Technology is a private for-profit institution located in National City, CA.

Is California Institute of Arts & Technology an HBCU?

No. California Institute of Arts & Technology is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.

Is California Institute of Arts & Technology a tribal college?

No. California Institute of Arts & Technology is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.

Is California Institute of Arts & Technology a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?

Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, California Institute of Arts & Technology does not meet that proxy (reported share 14.7%).

Is California Institute of Arts & Technology religiously affiliated?

No religious affiliation is reported for California Institute of Arts & Technology in IPEDS institutional characteristics.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology & Data Scope

This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.

Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.