Vanderbilt University has acquired the California College of the Arts (CCA) campus in San Francisco’s Design District, marking a significant expansion for the Nashville-based institution on the West Coast. The terms of the acquisition, including sale price and square footage, have not been disclosed.
The university plans to open a full-time academic campus at the site starting in fall 2027. The new campus is expected to serve about 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students with permanent faculty and staff.
Last year, reports indicated that Vanderbilt was searching for a location in San Francisco, considering sites such as the 5M mixed-use project in South of Market. However, Vanderbilt ultimately selected CCA’s campus because it already offers housing for 1,000 students and is set up for academic use. This decision allows Vanderbilt to avoid additional costs and time that would have been needed to convert other downtown spaces.
“We looked at various different opportunities,” said Vanderbilt chancellor Daniel Diermeier to the Chronicle. “We looked downtown. Those would have been possibilities had [the] opportunity to work with CCA not arisen.”
After taking over operations at CCA’s campus, Vanderbilt will introduce undergraduate and graduate programs at the site, including art and design disciplines. According to CCA president David Howse: “Vanderbilt also plans to operate a CCA Institute at Vanderbilt which will include, among other things, the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Arts, will maintain CCA archival materials, and will serve as a vehicle for CCA alumni engagement.”
CCA has faced financial challenges over recent years. In 2024, it spent $123 million consolidating its Oakland campus into San Francisco. Following this move, enrollment dropped sharply and led to a $20 million budget deficit. Early last year, CCA received a $45 million donation—half from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang—but according to Howse: “Ultimately, neither of these are enough to ensure CCA can continue to operate independently.”
Vanderbilt’s planned satellite campus still requires regulatory approval before beginning operations.
