Overview
- Vanderbilt plans a full-time San Francisco campus opening in fall 2027 for about 1,000 students, pending regulatory approvals.
- CCA will teach through the 2026–27 academic year; students are not automatically admitted to Vanderbilt as transfer and teach-out pathways are arranged.
- A California College of the Arts Institute at Vanderbilt will preserve the Wattis Institute, maintain archives, and support alumni engagement.
- Vanderbilt also received CCA’s former Oakland campus as part of the transaction, with future plans for that property not yet determined and financial terms undisclosed.
- CCA leaders cite a roughly $20 million deficit and declining enrollment despite nearly $45 million raised in 2025, and union officials say roughly 400 employees will be laid off when the school closes.