Nvidia’s Jensen Huang gave millions to save 120-year-old California college but historic institution is closing down

For nearly 120 years, the California College of the Arts (CCA) stood as a creative pillar in San Francisco, shaping generations of artists, designers, architects, and innovators. But behind its celebrated legacy, the nonprofit institution had been grappling with mounting financial pressure — a struggle that even an extraordinary last-minute rescue effort by Nvidia CEO and co-founder Jensen Huang could not fully overcome.

In February last year, CCA received a crucial $22.5 million donation from Huang and his wife, Lori, offering temporary relief to an institution fighting to stabilize its finances. The college had earlier secured a $20 million grant from the state of California, underscoring both its cultural importance and the severity of its financial distress. Despite these interventions, CCA’s long-term sustainability remained uncertain.

Now, a significant transition is underway. Vanderbilt University has reached an agreement to acquire CCA’s San Francisco campus near Potrero Hill following the planned wind-down of CCA’s academic operations in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.


San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced that Vanderbilt plans to establish a new academic campus in the city beginning in 2027. The campus is expected to serve around 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, bringing sustained academic activity, faculty, and staff back to a site long associated with arts education.

As part of the agreement, Vanderbilt will also create a California College of the Arts Institute within the university, aimed at preserving CCA’s legacy and influence.

CCA will continue instruction through the 2026–27 academic year, allowing current students to complete or meaningfully advance in their programs. Vanderbilt anticipates welcoming its first cohort of students to the San Francisco campus in the 2027–28 academic year, pending approvals from regulatory bodies.

Dr. Calvin Wheeler, chair of CCA’s board, acknowledged both the institution’s historic impact and its financial realities. He noted that CCA’s global alumni network of artists and creative professionals reflects more than a century of innovation, but conceded that the agreement with Vanderbilt represents the best path forward given the college’s challenges.

Huang’s involvement went beyond philanthropy. CCA had been collaborating with NVIDIA to integrate artificial intelligence and GPU-accelerated computing into disciplines such as visual art, architecture, and interactive media. Through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute, students were gaining access to cutting-edge AI education — part of Huang’s broader vision to democratize AI beyond traditional tech hubs.

NVIDIA continues to work with cities, states, and educational institutions across the U.S. to embed AI education nationwide, believing that future innovation depends on reaching communities far beyond Silicon Valley.