Walt Disney helped create CalArts in 1961 by merging the Chouinard Art Institute with the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. The school now sits on a hillside in Valencia, north of Los Angeles, with art, dance, film and video, music, theatre and critical studies under one long building. Its character animation programme has fed Disney and Pixar for decades. Admission rests almost entirely on portfolio or audition.
Santa Clarita, California, United States
Official website: calarts.edu
1961, with backing from Walt Disney
Art, Dance, Film/Video, Music, Theater, Critical Studies
Private arts institute
Portfolio or audition based
$56,000 – $62,000
International students, BFA and MFA, before scholarships
$18,000 – $24,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on calarts.edu before you apply.
BFA Character Animation
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BFA Film and Video
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BFA Experimental Animation
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MFA Art
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BFA Music Performance
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MFA Theater (Acting)
Masters DegreeDuration
36 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
Character animation alumni across Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks.
Every art form in one building, so collaborations happen early.
Experimental work in film, music and performance.
Animation graduates join feature studios, TV animation and game companies in Los Angeles.
Film, music and theatre alumni work across the LA entertainment industry.
Eligible F-1 graduates can use OPT to start working in LA studios.
Undergrad
Early January
Postgrad
Early January
The campus is in Valencia, a planned suburb of Santa Clarita about 30 miles north of downtown LA along Interstate 5.
Students often rent in Valencia or Newhall. The Metrolink Antelope Valley line runs to Union Station, but most people end up wanting a car.
Form I-20 issued by the institution
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
Most CalArts programmes set their fall deadline in early January, and portfolios or audition materials are due with the application. Some programmes fill fast, so apply well before the cut-off.
CalArts admits almost everyone for the fall semester, which starts in late August or early September.
International students come in on an F-1 visa. The I-20 comes from California Institute of the Arts after you confirm your place and show you can cover a year of costs; you then pay the SEVIS fee, fill in the DS-160 and book your consulate interview.
Character animation, film and video, experimental animation, fine art, music and acting are the best-known programmes. Admission is driven by portfolio or audition, plus transcripts and English at about IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 80.
Yes. CalArts considers international applicants for merit scholarships based on the portfolio or audition. Awards rarely cover full tuition.
