University

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, California, United States

Verified · last verified 2026-08-22

University details

Institution type: Private, nonprofit
Campus setting: Urban
Application platforms: Not available
Testing policy: Not available
In-state tuition: $54,170
Out-of-state tuition: $54,170
Cost of attendance: Not available (2024–2025)
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,017

Website

Common Data Set

Institution-reported facts by reporting cycle. Missing and withheld values are shown explicitly.

2025–2026 · most recent available

First-year admission rate

78.9%

Calculated from applications and admissions reported in CDS C1. This is a factual calculation, not a CollegePath rating.

Enrollment

Undergraduate enrollment (B1): 2,017 students
Full-time undergraduate enrollment (B1): Not reported by institution
Part-time undergraduate enrollment (B1): Not reported by institution

First-year admission

Majors

Architectural Sciences and Technology
Architecture and Related Services
Computer Software and Media Applications
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Design and Applied Arts
Visual and Performing Arts
Engineering-Related Fields
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Visual and Performing Arts
Fine and Studio Arts
Visual and Performing Arts
Graphic Communications
Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields

Deadlines

Rolling · 2026–2027
Rolling admission — ArtCenter undergraduate applications remain open until programs fill; Entertainment Design has program-specific dates.
https://www.artcenter.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/important-dates.html

Supplemental essays

How many responses?

Undergraduate applicants submit one short-answer essay plus two essays; prompts vary by major.

2026–2027

Required · All listed undergraduate majors
Describe the path that has led to your choice of major/program and why you believe an ArtCenter education will further your educational and career goals.
Limit: 200 words — Verbatim prompt recorded from the official first-party source; cycle wording should be rechecked when the institution updates its application.
https://cms.artcenter.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/essay-requirements.html
Required · All listed undergraduate majors
ArtCenter believes that our community is enriched when our classrooms are filled with individuals with different lived experiences and points of view. Tell us how your lived experience informs your point of view as a creative and as an individual. Have you encountered challenges associated with what makes you unique and, if so, how have you addressed these challenges?

Application requirements

2026–2027

Supplemental essays · Required
Undergraduate applicants submit one short-answer essay plus two essays; prompts vary by major.
https://www.artcenter.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/essay-requirements.html

Sources

Direct sources supporting this university’s facts, with retrieval dates.

Official source · supports requirements:2026–2027:supplemental_essays
https://www.artcenter.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/essay-requirements.html
Retrieved 2026-09-02 — Undergraduate applicants submit one short-answer essay plus two essays; prompts vary by major.
Official source
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?109651
Retrieved 2026-06-10

First-year applications (C1)

First-year students admitted (C1)

1,068 students

First-year students enrolled (C1)

304 students

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 4.0 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.75-3.99 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.50-3.74 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.25-3.49 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.00-3.24 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 2.50-2.99 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 2.00-2.49 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 1.00-1.99 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA below 1.0 (C11)

Not reported by institution

Average high-school GPA (C12)

Not reported by institution

Testing

Enrolled students submitting scores · SAT (C9): 3%
Enrolled students submitting scores · ACT (C9): 0%
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing · 25th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing · 75th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
SAT Math · 25th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
SAT Math · 75th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
ACT Composite · 25th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
ACT Composite · 75th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution

Academics and class size

Student-to-faculty ratio (I2): Not reported by institution

Source: ArtCenter College of Design Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Retrieved 2026-09-02

Open the official institutional source

Document ID: url:https://cms.artcenter.edu/assets/24848/src/CDS%202025-2026_18June26.pdf · Import: cds-2026-09-v55

Limit: 400 words — Verbatim prompt recorded from the official first-party source; cycle wording should be rechecked when the institution updates its application.

Required · Game Design

Why do you want to be a game designer?

Limit: 400 words — Verbatim prompt recorded from the official first-party source; cycle wording should be rechecked when the institution updates its application.

https://cms.artcenter.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/essay-requirements.html

Required · Interaction Design

Describe the innovations you think will happen in Interaction Design over the next five years. Describe why you think these innovations will occur and how you see yourself working in the field of interaction in the future.

Limit: 400 words — Verbatim prompt recorded from the official first-party source; cycle wording should be rechecked when the institution updates its application.

https://cms.artcenter.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/essay-requirements.html