Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 34.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 9/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Art Academy of Cincinnati receives a CampusROI score of 9 (Below Benchmark tier) under our methodology, alongside a 41.3% completion rate. Published tuition is $41,375 and the average net price is $34,253 per year, or $137,012 over four years of attendance (a cost figure, not a debt figure). Median debt at graduation is $27,000 against average earnings of $25,700 six years after entry, a 1.051 debt-to-earnings ratio, and median earnings reach $34,368 ten years after entry. Our model does not produce a finite payback period here (it is shown as 999), which under our methodology means the earnings figures do not recover the cost of attendance. Three years after leaving, 58.0% of borrowers were making progress on repayment. Completion figures for the Art Academy of Cincinnati swing between 24.4% and 63.2% across 2009 to 2024 in our historical series, so with 205 students enrolled the latest figure reflects a small cohort and should not be read as a stable graduation rate. Outcomes vary widely by program and by student, and these institution-level figures describe past cohorts rather than any individual result. Figures are from the 2024-2025 College Scorecard release.
How Art Academy of Cincinnati 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 Score9/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.05 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 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.
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $41,375/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $41,375/yr |
| Average net price | $34,253/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $137,012 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,368 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 41.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 205 |
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: $41,375/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $34,253/year, or roughly $137,012 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 $33,835/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $36,786/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($25,700) and comes to 1.05, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $33,835 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $26,702 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $34,052 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $41,927 |
| $110,001+ | $36,786 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 report an average net price of $33,835 per year, about $135,300 over four years. Institutional and outside aid can change this figure significantly for individual students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Families earning $30,001-$48,000 report an average net price of $26,702 per year, families earning $48,001-$75,000 report $34,052, and families earning $75,001-$110,000 report $41,927.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 report an average net price of $36,786 per year, about $147,100 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Art Academy of Cincinnati with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $42,224 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $31,166 | F |
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.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts has 21 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $20,921 in the first year and $42,224 by year four, against median debt of $27,000 (a 1.291 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts has 9 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $13,252 in the first year and $31,166 by year four, against median debt of $27,000 (a 2.037 debt-to-earnings ratio). With so few graduates, these program figures rest on a small cohort and can move sharply from year to year.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 55.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 58.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Art Academy of Cincinnati’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
| Acceptance rate | 34.5% |
| Enrollment | 205 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,527 |
The Art Academy of Cincinnati admits 34.5% of applicants. The completion rate of 41.3% measures the share of first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of normal time.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Academy of Cincinnati (this school) | 9 | $34,253 | $34,368 |
| California College of ASU | 14 | $17,683 | $42,014 |
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | 14 | $42,454 | $29,881 |
| Montserrat College of Art | 13 | $33,216 | $33,022 |
| Pacific Northwest College of Art | 7 | $35,785 | $34,883 |
| Nossi College of Art and Design | 6 | $24,044 | $35,113 |
Who Thrives Here
With 205 students and a 50.6% Pell Grant rate, the Art Academy of Cincinnati is a private nonprofit institution based in Cincinnati, OH. Median debt at graduation ($27,000) is above average earnings six years after entry ($25,700). Students relying heavily on loans should compare the net price for their income bracket using the Art Academy of Cincinnati's net price calculator.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Art Academy of Cincinnati scores 9/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $34,253 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,368 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 41.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 58.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $25,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Art Academy of Cincinnati: Common Questions
Is Art Academy of Cincinnati worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Art Academy of Cincinnati scores 9/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $34,253 a year after aid against $34,368 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 Art Academy of Cincinnati 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 $34,253 a year, or roughly $137,012 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 Art Academy of Cincinnati graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,368 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 Art Academy of Cincinnati?
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 Art Academy of Cincinnati. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Art Academy of Cincinnati graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $25,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Art Academy of Cincinnati?
The six-year graduation rate is 41.3%. 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.