Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 10/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Academy of Art University scores 10 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The core problem is visible in three numbers: a 75.5-year payback period, a 34.3% completion rate, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.945. Median debt is $31,000 against average 6-year earnings of $32,800 - graduates who finish are barely ahead of where they started, and fewer than one in three students finishes at all. The best-performing program is Computer Software and Media Applications (112 graduates, $45,387 year-one, $73,398 year-four, ROI grade D), but even that program carries a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.875. Design and Applied Arts graduates earn $20,829 at year one with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.593. Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies is the second largest program with a D grade and 0.919 debt-to-earnings. The 10-year earnings of $39,008 suggest limited long-run wage growth. Students drawn to creative fields should examine completion rates, program-specific debt levels, and long-run earnings trajectories carefully before committing to this institution.
How Academy of Art University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score10/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate34.3% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Academy of Art University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,736/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,736/yr |
| Average net price | $40,613/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $162,452 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $39,008 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $329 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 34.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,587 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $30,736/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $40,613/year, or roughly $162,452 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $37,668/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $44,082/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $31,000, which works out to about $329 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,800) and comes to 0.94, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $37,668 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $36,340 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $43,874 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $43,953 |
| $110,001+ | $44,082 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $37,668 net price per year - only marginally below the $40,613 average net price. For students who rely on Pell grants and federal loans, this net price implies heavy borrowing against a backdrop of 34.3% completion rates.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $43,874 (48001-75000) and $43,953 (75001-110000) per year - actually higher than the lowest income bracket. This inversion suggests the institution's aid formula provides minimal differentiation across income levels. Families earning $48,000-$110,000 face a total 4-year cost near $175,000 with average 6-year earnings of $32,800. The financial case is difficult to construct at any income level given these outcomes.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $44,082 per year, nearly identical to middle-income families. There is essentially no income-based pricing variation in the upper half of the distribution. At $44,082 per year against average 6-year earnings of $32,800, the full-pay case produces a payback period of 75.5 years by Scorecard calculation. For students with strong creative career intentions and financial support to weather low early earnings, outcomes may vary - but the aggregate data does not support a confident full-pay investment thesis.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Academy of Art University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Software and Media Applications | $73,398 | D |
| Graphic Communications | $50,833 | F |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $66,783 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $38,583 | F |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $46,726 | F |
| Apparel and Textiles | $41,565 | F |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $43,084 | F |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $54,087 | D |
| Music | $33,151 | D |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $60,284 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Computer Software and Media Applications
The best ROI program at this institution, though still graded D: 112 graduates, $45,387 year-one, $73,398 year-four, debt-to-earnings 0.875 with median debt of $39,715. The four-year trajectory to $73k suggests meaningful career development for completers in software and media roles, but the D grade reflects debt loads that remain high relative to earnings. Students who complete this program in a tech-adjacent labor market like San Francisco may outperform the median, but the debt-to-earnings ratio leaves little margin for error.
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies
73 graduates, $48,978 year-one, $66,783 year-four, ROI grade D with debt-to-earnings 0.919 and median debt $45,000. Year-one earnings are the strongest at this institution, likely reflecting technical drafting roles in architecture and engineering firms. However, median debt of $45,000 against year-one earnings of $48,978 leaves borrowers in a structurally difficult position - the debt nearly equals annual income at graduation. The D grade is earned; this is not a strong ROI case.
Visual and Performing Arts
23 graduates, $28,494 year-one, $43,084 year-four, ROI grade F with debt-to-earnings 1.088 and median debt $31,000. Debt exceeds annual earnings at graduation. The four-year figure of $43k is marginal for a credential that cost $162,452 in total 4-year costs. This program exemplifies the structural ROI problem at the institution: creative fields with low starting wages and high debt loads show up here as a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.088.
Graphic Communications
74 graduates, $27,481 year-one, $50,833 year-four, ROI grade F with debt-to-earnings 1.336 and median debt $36,717. Year-one earnings of $27,481 in San Francisco - a high cost-of-living city - represent a very difficult financial position for graduates with $36,717 in debt. The four-year trajectory to $50k is positive but insufficient to justify the debt burden.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
56 graduates, $23,354 year-one, $46,726 year-four, ROI grade F with debt-to-earnings 1.563 and median debt $36,500. Film graduates face some of the worst near-term earnings at this institution. Debt of $36,500 against $23,354 in year-one earnings means monthly loan payments likely consume a large fraction of take-home pay. The four-year figure of $46k shows meaningful growth, but the starting point and debt load make this a high-risk program choice.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 49.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 55.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 38.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 46.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Academy of Art University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 3,587 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 41.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,554 |
Academy of Art University reports no admission rate in Scorecard data, which is consistent with its open-enrollment model - the institution accepts students without competitive academic screening. No SAT or ACT ranges are reported. Entry is accessible; completion is not. The 34.3% graduation rate is the primary risk factor applicants should interrogate before enrolling. Students who do not finish leave with debt and no credential.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Art University (this school) | 10 | $40,613 | $39,008 |
| Design Institute of San Diego | 28 | $44,010 | $46,920 |
| University of Silicon Valley | 23 | $27,815 | $51,017 |
| Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design | 13 | $32,363 | $42,958 |
| Strayer University-Georgia | 9 | $18,318 | $40,092 |
| Strayer University-South Carolina | 9 | $17,979 | $40,092 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Academy of Art University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Academy of Art University is open admission - no admission rate or test scores are reported in Scorecard data. Enrollment is 3,587 with a Pell grant rate of 41%, indicating a substantial share of lower-income students who face some of the highest financial risk here given poor completion rates and low earnings. Students who are strongly motivated to work in design, animation, film, or fashion should weigh the specific labor market outcomes for each program against total cost. The institution is based in San Francisco, which provides urban creative industry proximity, but program ROI grades range from D to F across most tracks.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Academy of Art University scores 10/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $40,613 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $39,008 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 34.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.94 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 55.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $31,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.94. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Academy of Art University: Common Questions
Is Academy of Art University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Academy of Art University scores 10/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $40,613 a year after aid against $39,008 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Academy of Art University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $40,613 a year, or roughly $162,452 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Academy of Art University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $39,008 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Academy of Art University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Academy of Art University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Academy of Art University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $31,000, against average earnings of $32,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.94. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Academy of Art University?
The six-year graduation rate is 34.3%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.