Academy of Art University Tuition & Open Admission (2026)

Net price / year

$40,613

after grants & scholarships

higher than 89% of for-profit 4-year colleges

Acceptance rate

Open admission

accepts most applicants

Graduation rate

38%

within 150% of normal time

lower than 65% of for-profit 4-year colleges

Median earnings

$50,255

4 years after graduating

lower than 61% of for-profit 4-year colleges

Academy of Art University at a glance

What is the tuition at Academy of Art University?: Undergraduate tuition and fees are $30,736 for the 2024-25 academic year.
What is the cost of attendance at Academy of Art University?: The average cost of attendance is $48,036 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
What is the net price at Academy of Art University?: The average net price is $40,613 a year after grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Academy of Art University?: This school has open admission: most applicants who meet basic requirements are accepted.
What is the graduation rate at Academy of Art University?: 38% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
How much do graduates of Academy of Art University earn?: The median graduate earns $50,255 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).

Key takeaways

At $40,613 a year, the average net price is higher than 89% of for-profit 4-year colleges.
This school has open admission, so most applicants who meet basic requirements are accepted.
Families earning under $30,000 pay about $37,668 a year on average, versus $44,082 for families earning over $110,000.
It would take about 12.2 years of the earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate to cover the estimated net cost (not counting income forgone while studying).
Pell Grant recipients completed within 150% of normal time at a rate of 23%, compared with 38% for all students, a gap of 15 points.

Tuition and cost of attendance at Academy of Art University

Average net price

$40,613 per year

Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.

Estimate your own price with the Academy of Art University net price calculator ↗

Estimated total net cost

$162,452

Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.

Net price by family income

Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.

$0–30k $37,668
$30–48k $36,340
$48–75k $43,874
$75–110k $43,953
$110k+ $44,082

Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $48,036

Tuition & fees$30,736
Books & supplies$1,062
Room & board$32,766
Other expenses$3,213

Tuition & fees (in-state): $30,736
Tuition & fees (out-of-state): $30,736

Academy of Art University acceptance rate and admissions

Open admission

The school admits most applicants who meet basic requirements.

Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Academy of Art University

Graduation rate

38%

First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.

Retention rate

71%

Full-time first-years who return the next fall.

Typical monthly payment

$329

On a standard 10-year federal plan.

Years of earnings premium to cover cost

12.2 years

Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.

Earnings vs debt

4 years after graduating$50,255

1 year after graduating$29,577

Median graduate debt$31,000

High-school graduate median (California)$36,976

Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.

Debt-to-earnings: 0.6×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
Share of pay going to loans: 7.8%
3-year loan default rate: 0%

Outcomes by student group

The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.

Completion within 150% of normal time, by group

Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).

White students 29%

Black students 6%

Hispanic students 31%

Asian students 50%

Pell Grant recipients 23%

All students, same entering cohort: 34%

Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).

Earnings ten years after entry

All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.

Typical range: middle half of students

25th percentile $17,463 · median $39,008 · 75th percentile $65,466

Median by family income

Lowest third of family incomes $33,594

Middle third $45,016

Highest third $46,501

Median by sex

Male students $43,891

Non-male students $35,388

This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.

Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).

Median federal student debt, by group

Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.

By Pell Grant status

Pell Grant recipients $11,500

Not Pell recipients $9,500

By first-generation status

First-generation students $10,500

Not first-generation $13,490

By family income

Family income $0–$30,000 $10,500

Family income $30,001–$75,000 $11,000

Family income over $75,000 $12,000

By gender

Men $10,981

Women $11,000

Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).

How borrowers are doing

One year after leaving school and entering repayment, here is where the 4,688 federal-loan borrowers from this college stood. It covers borrowers only, not students who did not take federal loans.

Repayment status one year after entering repayment

Paid in full 5%
Making progress 5%
Not making progress 11%
Delinquent 2%
Default 0%
Forbearance 64%
Deferment 12%
Discharged 1%

What the terms mean

Paid in full:: The borrower has paid off the loans completely.
Making progress:: Payments are reducing the loan balance, not just covering interest.
Not making progress:: The borrower is paying, but not enough to shrink the balance.
Delinquent:: Payments are late but the loan is not yet in default.
Default:: The borrower has missed payments for so long that the loan is officially in default.
Forbearance:: Payments are temporarily paused or reduced, and interest may keep adding up.
Deferment:: Payments are on hold for an approved reason, such as returning to school.
Discharged:: The loan was cancelled, for example because of a disability or a school closure.

4,688 borrowers · Data period: Borrowers who entered repayment in the AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 cohorts (pooled, NSLDS).

Programs and majors at Academy of Art University ranked by earnings

Program	Earnings, 4 yrs after	Earnings over time	Compared with the U.S. median for this field	Median debt
Computer Software and Media Applications Bachelor's · Graduates: 138	$73,398	1 yr$45,3874 yrs$73,3985 yrs$78,524	U.S. median $58,894 U.S. middle half $35.5K–$88.2K · Above the U.S. median	$36,750
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's · Graduates: 76	$66,783	1 yr$48,9784 yrs$66,783	U.S. median $71,753 U.S. middle half $56.8K–$86K · Below the U.S. median	$40,171
Computer Software and Media Applications Associate · Graduates: 37	$60,731	1 yr$30,2734 yrs$60,731	U.S. median $41,737 U.S. middle half $25.6K–$59.3K · Above the U.S. median	$31,211
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations Bachelor's · Graduates: 18 Small sample	$60,284	—	U.S. median $59,631 U.S. middle half $42.1K–$78K · Above the U.S. median	—
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Bachelor's · Graduates: 35	$54,087	1 yr$25,4254 yrs$54,087	U.S. median $50,497 U.S. middle half $33.7K–$70.1K · Above the U.S. median	$23,473
Graphic Communications Bachelor's · Graduates: 107	$50,833	1 yr$27,4814 yrs$50,8335 yrs$54,175	U.S. median $43,283 U.S. middle half $27.2K–$64.3K · Above the U.S. median	$31,125
Film/Video and Photographic Arts Bachelor's · Graduates: 103	$46,726	1 yr$23,3544 yrs$46,7265 yrs$39,174	U.S. median $43,765 U.S. middle half $26K–$63.4K · Above the U.S. median	$33,812
Visual and Performing Arts, General Bachelor's · Graduates: 35	$43,084	1 yr$28,4944 yrs$43,0845 yrs$39,532	U.S. median $41,688 U.S. middle half $25.8K–$59.9K · Above the U.S. median	$31,000
Film/Video and Photographic Arts Associate · Graduates: 30	$42,221	1 yr$30,1784 yrs$42,2215 yrs$36,174	U.S. median $33,186 U.S. middle half $18.5K–$48.6K · Above the U.S. median	$32,187
Apparel and Textiles Bachelor's · Graduates: 45	$41,565	1 yr$27,6304 yrs$41,565	U.S. median $57,640 U.S. middle half $40.6K–$75.9K · Below the U.S. median	$25,500

Show all 15 programs

Design and Applied Arts Associate · Graduates: 29 Small sample	$40,595	1 yr$26,4784 yrs$40,5955 yrs$43,707	U.S. median $38,127 U.S. middle half $22.8K–$53.9K · Above the U.S. median	$31,937
Design and Applied Arts Bachelor's · Graduates: 93	$38,583	1 yr$20,8294 yrs$38,5835 yrs$57,948	U.S. median $51,490 U.S. middle half $33K–$70.6K · Below the U.S. median	$31,500
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Bachelor's · Graduates: 32	$35,870	1 yr$20,7984 yrs$35,8705 yrs$19,276	U.S. median $39,775 U.S. middle half $25.5K–$55.4K · Below the U.S. median	$30,666
Music Bachelor's · Graduates: 25 Small sample	$33,151	4 yrs$33,1515 yrs$38,890	U.S. median $42,892 U.S. middle half $26K–$58.8K · Below the U.S. median	$29,910
Apparel and Textiles Associate · Graduates: 18 Small sample	$29,584	—	U.S. median $45,422 U.S. middle half $27.8K–$66.8K · Below the U.S. median	$18,828

Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.

The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.

The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.

Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.

What students study

The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.

Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field

Visual and Performing Arts 35.5%

Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services 18.2%

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services 16.9%

Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians 15.7%

Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences 7.3%

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs 3.8%

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 1.8%

A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).

Who attends

A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.

Race and ethnicity

White 28%
Black or African American 13.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21%
Asian 7.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.5%
Two or more races 6.8%
U.S. nonresident 11.5%
Race and ethnicity unknown 11%

Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).

Gender

Men 43.6%
Women 56.4%

Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).

Students aged 25 or older

44%

of undergraduates

Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).

Students and campus

Undergraduate enrollment: 3,587
Part-time students: 47%
Receive Pell Grants: 41%
Receive federal loans: 49%
Students per faculty member: 14 : 1
Setting: City

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Where it ranks

This college appears in the top 50 of these TuitionScope rankings.

Guides worth reading

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Frequently asked questions

How much is tuition at Academy of Art University?

For the 2024-25 academic year, Academy of Art University reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $30,736. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.

What is the cost of attendance and net price at Academy of Art University?

The average cost of attendance at Academy of Art University is $48,036 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $40,613 a year. That is higher than 89% of for-profit 4-year colleges.

How much financial aid do students at Academy of Art University get?

41% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 49% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $37,668 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $44,082 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).

What is the acceptance rate at Academy of Art University?

Academy of Art University has open admission: it accepts most applicants who meet basic requirements.

What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Academy of Art University?

38% of first-time, full-time students at Academy of Art University finish within 150% of normal time. 71% of full-time first-years return the next fall.

How much do Academy of Art University graduates earn after graduation?

The median graduate earns $50,255 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $29,577.

Is Academy of Art University worth it?

There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Academy of Art University, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 12.2 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $31,000, about 0.6 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 38% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.

How much debt do Academy of Art University graduates have?

Graduates who borrowed have a median federal-loan debt of $31,000, or about $329 a month on a 10-year plan.

Sources and data periods

All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:

Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts

Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things