For Financial Aid questions, please contact the Financial Aid office.

Media Center laptops are available for temporary loan check-outs while students obtain their own device. Students will need to first fill out a Needs Assessment form: Laptop Loan Program, then someone from the Media Center will be in contact about availability.

Most programs at CCA use Macs, but some recommend PCs. Please check the recommendations for your intended major before making a purchase.

If you know your major, please check the recommendations for your intended major before making a purchase.

General / Undeclared CCA Laptop

CCA requires that all students own a laptop that meets the minimum system requirements for software commonly used across the curriculum. This requirement will help ensure that all students have access to the college’s digital resources at home or on-campus.

Required system specifications (2024)

• Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro - M3 Standard chip with 8-core CPU
  10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
  MINIMUM 16GB unified memory
  MINIMUM 512GB SSD storage
  Liquid Retina XDR display
  Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 port
  Purchase here: CCA / Apple Online Store

External storage device: CCA students are required to own an external storage device for saving coursework and backups of digital work. When working with high-resolution image files, motion graphics, and video files, a great deal of data storage space is needed.

• Connects via USB, 1 TB minimum storage space
  Purchase here: CCA / Apple Online Store

If you already have a laptop with comparable specs to the CCA required MacBook Pro, or the PC recommended for your specific major, you can arrive with your machine. That said, buying the CCA required computer will ensure that your laptop is fully compatible with your department’s curriculum. In addition, it will also ensure that you receive the best possible laptop program support from the college. CCA partners with Apple to provide CCA students purchasing new laptops additional discounts that they could not otherwise receive on their own. Recommended systems can be found at the CCA / Apple online store.

An iPad or other tablet is not adequate for running the software needed for class.

You can do this, particularly if you think you are going to be changing majors. We encourage you to talk to your Academic Advisor or contact the Help Desk in advance of purchasing a new laptop. Laptop recommendations by major can be found on the Program Technology Requirements page.

We have selected this configuration to enable a broad range of use and a long working life for your computer. As long as your laptop meets the minimum specifications, you are welcome to customize your machine to suit your individual needs.

CCA recommends waiting until late summer before purchasing your required MacBook Pro, as Apple often releases new system updates earlier in the summer. Additionally, we recommend acquiring your software and having it installed 2 weeks prior to your arrival to CCA. This will ensure that you are running the latest version of the software and allow time to troubleshoot any issues that arise before of the start of classes.

Free Access to most software required for class use is provided by Creative Instructional Technologies (C.I.T.). Instructions to access software are available on the Creative Software page. CCA provides all students with subscriptions for Adobe Creative Cloud Products. You can go here for instructions on accepting your invitation and then installing the Adobe Software on your laptop.

Yes! If you are having difficulty installing the Adobe Creative Cloud or other software required for class, our Help Desk and User Support Specialists are available to help you. Please call, email, or submit a ticket online to make an appointment with User Support:

Phone: 415-703-9560
Email: helpdesk@cca.edu
Online: Submit Help Desk Ticket