Pasadena’s ArtCenter Offers Degree Pathway to Students at Closing San Francisco Art School

ArtCenter College of Design has finalized a teach-out agreement with California College of the Arts, the 119-year-old San Francisco institution that is closing at the end of the 2026-2027 academic year, establishing a structured pathway for CCA students to complete their degrees at ArtCenter’s Pasadena campus.

The agreement, announced by ArtCenter in a press release, formalizes a transfer process that includes waived application fees, reduced admissions requirements, rolling review with expedited decisions, and scholarship consideration aimed at matching CCA students’ current financial aid levels. CCA announced in January 2026 that it would cease operations after years of declining enrollment and a $20 million budget deficit, leaving roughly 1,300 students seeking options to continue their education.

“ArtCenter recognizes that this is a challenging time for CCA,” Karen Hofmann, president of ArtCenter College of Design, said in the announcement. “As a leading art and design school and a longstanding pillar of creative industries, we are proud to partner with the college to help its students achieve their educational and professional goals following its closure.”

Under the teach-out agreement, ArtCenter is offering CCA undergraduate and graduate students individualized advising across admissions, transfer evaluation and financial aid, according to the announcement. The college will accept unofficial transcripts for preliminary transfer assessments and work with each student to build a personalized pathway to graduation.

Graduate students transferring from CCA will have essay, letters of recommendation and resume requirements waived. ArtCenter said it will also provide dedicated guidance for international students, including support in transferring I-20 immigration documents.

CCA, formally known as California College of the Arts, was founded in 1907 in the East Bay and later moved to San Francisco. The school entered an agreement with Vanderbilt University in January 2026 under which Vanderbilt will take ownership of CCA’s campus and establish new academic programming there. CCA’s closure is the latest in a series of art school closings nationally, following the shuttering of the San Francisco Art Institute in 2022 and the sudden closure of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2024.

ArtCenter, founded in 1930, enrolls approximately 2,310 students from more than 50 countries and offers 11 undergraduate and 10 graduate degree programs in disciplines spanning industrial design, media and technology, and visual and applied arts. The college operates two Pasadena campuses: the Hillside Campus at 1700 Lida Street and the South Campus on Raymond Avenue.

CCA students interested in transferring can visit ArtCenter’s CCA Teach-Out Online Portal. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. ArtCenter Admissions can be reached by text at (626) 389-2373, by phone at (626) 396-2373 or by email at admissions@artcenter.edu. Bryan Green, associate director of transfer admissions, is the undergraduate contact; Nathan Weikert, director of graduate admissions, handles graduate inquiries.

“We look forward to welcoming CCA students to our vibrant Southern California campus, where they can continue their studies, complete their degrees, and grow into future creative leaders,” Hofmann said.