Los Angeles is the second great American city for art school — and for certain disciplines, it is the first. Animation, film, entertainment design, fashion, and experimental art all have deep roots in LA, and the city’s creative industries offer students a professional environment that no other city outside New York can match. But which school is actually the best art school in Los Angeles?
The answer, as with New York, depends almost entirely on what you want to study. Here is a complete breakdown of every serious option.
Why Los Angeles for Art School?
New York gets more attention in art school conversations, but Los Angeles has genuine advantages that are worth understanding before choosing between them.
The entertainment industry. Film, television, animation, game design, and visual effects are concentrated in Los Angeles in a way that has no parallel anywhere in the world. For students whose creative ambitions intersect with any of these fields, LA provides access to the industry that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere.
The contemporary art market. LA has developed into one of the two dominant centers of the American contemporary art market — alongside New York. The gallery scene in Culver City, Downtown LA, and Hollywood has attracted international attention, and LA-based artists are increasingly central to global contemporary art conversations.
The design and fashion industries. LA’s fashion scene is distinct from New York’s — more casual, more streetwear-oriented, more connected to entertainment and music. For students interested in those specific aesthetic directions, LA offers a creative environment that Parsons and New York cannot replicate.
The weather and space. This sounds trivial but is not. LA’s climate and relatively affordable studio space — compared to Manhattan — mean that artists can maintain larger, more ambitious studio practices. The physical conditions for making art are genuinely better in many respects.
The Best Art Schools in Los Angeles: A Complete Breakdown
1. CalArts — California Institute of the Arts
Best for: Animation, experimental art, film, music, performance
CalArts is located in Valencia, about 30 miles north of central Los Angeles — technically outside the city, but deeply connected to it. For animation, experimental art, and film, CalArts is not just the best school in Los Angeles. It is the best school in the country, and arguably the world.
The Character Animation program at CalArts is the single most important pipeline into the American animation industry. Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, and virtually every major animation studio recruit directly and heavily from CalArts. The alumni list of this one program represents a disproportionate share of the most celebrated animated films ever made — including work behind Toy Story, The Lion King, Frozen, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Beyond animation, CalArts’ School of Art is the most prominent experimental art program on the West Coast. Its Film/Video program has produced directors and experimental filmmakers who have shaped independent cinema globally. The music and performance programs are equally respected in their fields.
What makes CalArts genuinely distinctive — beyond any specific program — is its culture. CalArts is deliberately anti-hierarchical, interdisciplinary, and experimental. Students across all six schools share a campus and a creative community that consistently produces work that defines rather than follows trends.
CalArts is not for every student. It requires a high degree of self-direction, comfort with ambiguity, and genuine creative conviction. Students who thrive here are those who have a strong internal creative drive and do not need external structure to stay productive.
Acceptance rate: ~24% overall, ~10% for Character Animation Strongest programs: Character Animation, Experimental Art, Film/Video, Music Location: Valencia — 30 miles north of central LA, close to industry
[→ See our complete guide: CalArts — Everything You Need to Know Before Applying] [→ See our guide: Is CalArts Worth It?]
2. ArtCenter College of Design
Best for: Transportation design, product design, graphic design, illustration, photography, film
ArtCenter is Pasadena’s contribution to the LA art school landscape — and it is a significant one. Founded in 1930, ArtCenter has built one of the most distinctive reputations in design education globally, with particular dominance in transportation design and product design.
ArtCenter’s transportation design program is widely regarded as the best in the world. If you want to design cars, ArtCenter is where you go — full stop. Its graduates lead design studios at BMW, Mercedes, Ford, Toyota, and virtually every major automotive company globally. No other school comes close in this specific field.
Beyond transportation, ArtCenter is exceptionally strong in graphic design, illustration, photography, and film. Its approach is rigorously professional — the curriculum is demanding, the standards are high, and the expectation is that graduates enter the industry ready to work at the highest level from day one.
ArtCenter operates on a trimester system rather than a semester system, which means students take fewer classes simultaneously but at greater depth and intensity. This accelerated pace is part of what gives ArtCenter graduates their professional readiness.
Acceptance rate: ~77% overall, but with rigorous portfolio review Strongest programs: Transportation Design, Product Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography Location: Pasadena — culturally connected to LA, distinct from the entertainment industry center
[→ See our complete guide: ArtCenter — Everything You Need to Know Before Applying] [→ See our full ArtCenter vs CalArts comparison]
3. UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture
Best for: Fine art, design, film — public university resources at lower cost
UCLA offers something none of the private art schools in LA can match: the resources, research infrastructure, and academic breadth of one of the world’s great public universities, at a cost that is substantially lower for California residents and competitive for out-of-state and international students.
UCLA’s MFA program in Art is among the most respected on the West Coast — a serious fine art graduate program that competes directly with CalArts, Columbia, and other top programs nationally. Its Design program and Film program are similarly strong at the graduate level.
For undergraduate students, UCLA’s art program sits within a large university context, which means more academic breadth and less of the pure studio immersion that defines CalArts or ArtCenter. Whether this is an advantage or a limitation depends entirely on what the student needs.
UCLA is also the most internationally recognized public university brand on this list — a meaningful consideration for Korean students whose post-graduation plans include returning to Korea, where the UCLA name carries significant recognition.
Acceptance rate: ~9% overall (one of the most selective public universities in the US) Strongest programs: Fine Art (MFA), Design, Film Cost advantage: Significantly lower than private art schools, particularly for international students on scholarship
[→ See our guide: UCLA MFA vs CalArts — Which Should You Choose?]
4. USC Roski School of Art and Design
Best for: Fine art within a major research university — industry connections through USC
USC’s Roski School sits within one of the most powerful private university ecosystems in Los Angeles. USC’s connections to the entertainment industry — through its film school, its alumni network, and its physical proximity to Hollywood — give Roski students access to professional opportunities that are difficult to replicate at standalone art schools.
Roski is smaller and less prominent than CalArts or ArtCenter as a pure art school. But for students who want fine art or design training within a major university context — with access to USC’s broader resources, sports culture, alumni network, and industry connections — it offers a distinctive combination.
USC’s film school (the USC School of Cinematic Arts) is one of the most respected in the country and is directly adjacent to Roski, creating cross-disciplinary opportunities for students interested in the intersection of visual art and film.
Acceptance rate: ~12% overall for USC Strongest programs: Fine Art, Design — within a major research university context
[→ See our guide: CalArts vs USC — Fine Art vs University Experience]
5. Otis College of Art and Design
Best for: Fashion design, toy design, graphic design — professionally oriented LA training
Otis is a smaller, more focused art school located in the Westside of Los Angeles. It is less globally prominent than CalArts or ArtCenter, but it has genuine strengths in specific disciplines — particularly fashion design and toy design, where it has a distinctive and recognized program.
Otis is strongly connected to the LA creative industry. Its fashion program reflects LA’s specific aesthetic identity — streetwear, casual luxury, entertainment-influenced design — rather than the more formal European orientation of New York fashion education. For students whose creative interests align with that specific direction, Otis offers a more focused and industry-connected environment than larger schools.
Acceptance rate: ~65% Strongest programs: Fashion Design, Toy Design, Graphic Design Location: Westside LA — close to the entertainment and fashion industries
[→ See our guide: CalArts vs Otis — Which LA Art School Is Right for You?]
How Do the LA Art Schools Compare?
| CalArts | ArtCenter | UCLA | USC Roski | Otis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | ~24% | ~77%* | ~9% | ~12% | ~65% |
| Best for | Animation, Experimental Art, Film | Transportation Design, Product Design | Fine Art (MFA), Film | Fine Art, Design | Fashion, Toy Design |
| Setting | Valencia campus | Pasadena campus | Large university campus | Large university campus | Westside LA |
| Tuition | ~$57,000/yr | ~$52,000/yr | ~$14,000/yr (CA resident) | ~$65,000/yr | ~$46,000/yr |
| Industry connection | Animation, Film | Automotive, Product | Entertainment, Tech | Entertainment, Film | Fashion, Entertainment |
*ArtCenter’s higher acceptance rate reflects a rigorous portfolio review process — admission is genuinely competitive despite the number.
Which LA Art School Is Right for You?
Choose CalArts if animation, experimental art, or film is your primary interest — and you are prepared for a self-directed, experimentally oriented creative environment that demands genuine internal creative conviction.
Choose ArtCenter if transportation design, product design, or graphic design is your focus — and you want the most professionally rigorous design education in LA, with direct industry pipelines into the automotive, technology, and commercial design industries.
Choose UCLA if fine art or film interests you at the graduate level, cost is a significant consideration, or the resources and recognition of a major public research university are important to your post-graduation plans.
Choose USC Roski if you want fine art or design training within a major university ecosystem — with access to USC’s entertainment industry connections, alumni network, and broader academic resources.
Choose Otis if LA-specific fashion design or toy design is your primary interest, and you want a smaller, more focused environment with direct connections to the local industry.
A Note for Korean Students
Korean students are well represented at CalArts and ArtCenter in particular. CalArts’ animation and art programs have produced Korean graduates who have gone on to careers at major studios and in the international art world. ArtCenter’s design programs attract Korean students interested in transportation and product design.
The key consideration for Korean students choosing between LA and New York schools is career geography: LA school connections tend to lead most naturally into the entertainment, automotive, and West Coast technology industries. New York school connections tend to lead into fashion, editorial, advertising, and the East Coast art market.
If your post-graduation plans involve working in the US entertainment industry — animation, film, game design, visual effects — an LA school, and particularly CalArts, is the stronger strategic choice.
[→ See our guide: CalArts for Korean Students — A Complete Guide] [→ See our guide: How Korean Students Can Stand Out in Art School Applications]
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CalArts or ArtCenter better? CalArts and ArtCenter are strong in entirely different disciplines. CalArts leads in animation, experimental art, and film. ArtCenter leads in transportation design, product design, and graphic design. The better school depends entirely on your creative direction. [→ See our full ArtCenter vs CalArts comparison]
Is it better to go to art school in New York or Los Angeles? For animation, film, and entertainment design — Los Angeles. For fashion, editorial illustration, and commercial design — New York. For fine art, both cities have world-class options, and the choice comes down to which creative culture and professional ecosystem aligns more naturally with your work.
Is UCLA a good art school? UCLA’s MFA program in Art is one of the most respected on the West Coast. For undergraduate students, UCLA’s art program offers strong resources within a major university context. It is particularly valuable for students for whom cost is a significant consideration or who want a broader academic environment alongside their art training.
What is the best art school in LA for Korean students? CalArts has the strongest track record for Korean students interested in animation and experimental art. ArtCenter is the strongest choice for Korean students interested in design — particularly transportation and product design. Both schools have experienced international student populations and are equipped to support Korean students through the transition to US art school culture. [→ See our guide: CalArts for Korean Students]
Can Korean students get into CalArts Character Animation? Yes — Korean students gain admission to CalArts Character Animation every year. It is among the most competitive programs in the world, but Korean students who have developed exceptional drawing ability and a genuine storytelling sensibility — through years of dedicated practice and strong portfolio preparation — have a realistic path to admission.
Royal Blue Art & Design는 압구정에 위치한 유학미술학원으로, 19년간 한국 학생들의 CalArts, ArtCenter, UCLA 등 LA 미술대학 입시를 도와왔습니다. [상담 문의하기 →]