A prospective student seeking admission to The Art Institute of California — San Diego must be a high school graduate, hold a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, or have earned a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of postsecondary education as a prerequisite for admissions. An applicant who holds a bachelor's degree or higher may submit proof of the bachelor's degree to satisfy the high school completion requirement. Students who have a high school diploma or G.E.D. scores, yet cannot provide a transcript of GED scores, may submit alternate written documentation to satisfy this requirement. The Art Institute of California — San Diego President must approve all such exceptions. High School seniors who have not yet graduated should submit a partial transcript that indicates their expected graduation date.

A student who submits a high school transcript with a GPA of less than 2.0 will be required to provide two letters of recommendation for entry into the program of study. The only exception to this is the Game Art & Design and Audio Production programs where the minimum GPA is 2.5.No letter of recommendations are accepted for the Game Art & Design or Audio Production programs. If the student does not meet the high school GPA requirement of 2.5 they can submit college transcripts to show proof that a minimum of 24 semester credits or the equivalent were successfully completed with a 2.5 GPA or higher.

Also, all prospective students will be required to independently conceive and write an essay of approximately 150 words describing how an education at The Art Institute of California — San Diego will help them attain their career goals.

Each individual who seeks admission to The Art Institute of California — San Diego will be interviewed either in person or by telephone by an assistant director of admissions. The purpose of the interview is to: (1) explore the prospective new student's background interests as they relate to the programs offered at The Art Institute of California — San Diego; (2) assist prospective students to identify the appropriate area of study consistent with their background and interest, and (3) provide information concerning curriculum offerings and support services available at The Art Institute. The pre-admission interview is designed to assist in assessing whether the student has a reasonable chance of successfully completing the appropriate program of study. Other nationally-based exams, such as the SAT or ACT exam, will be considered.