Vanderbilt to take over CCA campus as college winds down

California College of the Arts announced on Jan. 13 that it will wind down operations at the end of the 2026–2027 academic year, citing persistent financial challenges and declining enrollment. The school said it will continue instruction through 2026–2027 and assist impacted students while responsibility for student programming and the Montgomery campus transitions to Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt plans to make the Montgomery campus its first West Coast expansion, with operations expected to begin in the 2027–2028 academic year pending regulatory and accreditation approvals. The university estimates the San Francisco campus will serve roughly 1,000 students. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The mayor’s office released details describing the planned partnership and said Vanderbilt intends to engage alumni and steward CCA’s archives and legacy at the site.

For San Francisco County, the announcement combines immediate disruption with potential medium-term stability. In the short run, students, faculty and staff face uncertainty: CCA has pledged to help affected students, but the wind-down will alter course pathways for current enrollees and could reduce demand for nearby student housing during the 2027 academic year. Local small businesses around the Montgomery campus that rely on foot traffic from studios, galleries and lunchtime crowds may see sales dips while the transition proceeds.

Economically, the swap shapes neighborhood labor and property dynamics. Faculty and staff job losses or relocations could depress local services demand, while Vanderbilt’s entry could restore some employment and student-driven spending once its programs start. A campus serving about 1,000 students would reintroduce steady consumer demand for housing, transit and retail, but program mix and student demographics will determine whether spending patterns match those of CCA’s creative-arts community.

Regulatory and accreditation steps are key uncertainties. If approvals slip, campus occupancy could be delayed, extending the period of lower activity and complicating housing leases and business planning. City officials are involved in the transition and have highlighted archival stewardship and alumni engagement as priorities, signaling an interest in preserving CCA’s cultural footprint even as institutional control changes.

The change also matters for the broader higher education landscape in the Bay Area. A decision driven by declining enrollment and financial stress at a well-known art school underscores the persistent pressure on small specialized colleges nationally. For San Francisco, the outcome will hinge on how quickly Vanderbilt installs programs that attract students and on how city and community groups manage the interim period.

The takeaway? If you’re a CCA student, start planning transfers and ask the school about support now; if you run a nearby business or manage rentals, prepare for a year of transition and keep an eye on lease timing. Our two cents? Treat this as both a community preservation challenge and an economic opportunity: push city leaders and the incoming university to commit to local hiring, public programming and measures that keep the neighborhood’s creative energy alive.