Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 61.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 23/100 · Poor Value
Cleveland Institute of Art scores 23 out of 100 in the Poor Value tier -- a brutal but expected result for a specialized fine-arts school in a mid-tier metro. Sticker tuition is $49,400 with a $29,208 net price after aid, totaling $116,832 over four years. Median earnings sit at $32,900 six years out and only inch up to $42,509 by year ten -- a flat trajectory typical of fine-arts careers. The 34.2-year payback period is the headline disaster: at current earnings, the typical graduate would need over three decades to earn back what they paid. Debt-to-earnings comes in at 0.821 against $27,000 of median debt -- borrowers owe more than 80% of their first-year income. Completion (57.7%) is mid-pack and respectable for an arts school, and repayment (71.4% three-year rate) is decent. The fundamental problem is structural: fine-arts careers pay poorly, especially in the early years, and a $117K price tag for a credential that delivers a $33K median outcome at year six does not pencil. CIA is highly regarded within the art world for industrial design, illustration, and animation, and ambitious graduates can find their way into well-paying creative roles -- but those are upside outcomes, not the median.
The data raises concerns about Cleveland Institute of Art
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score23/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period34.2 years - Most 4-year schools we track have payback periods of 4-10 years.
Cleveland Institute of Art
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $49,400/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $49,400/yr |
| Average net price | $29,208/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $116,832 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,509 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 34.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 57.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 539 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Cleveland Institute of Art is $49,400/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $29,208/year, or roughly $116,832 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $23,423/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $37,436/year.
The median graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $286 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $42,509 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.82 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
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 | $23,423 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $24,992 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $26,654 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $30,518 |
| $110,001+ | $37,436 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $23,423 net per year -- a $93,000 four-year total. With Pell, Ohio College Opportunity Grant, and CIA institutional aid, the package is real, but the remaining cost still likely requires substantial borrowing. With median graduate earnings of $32,900 six years out, a low-income student could end up servicing significant debt on a salary that barely covers urban living costs. The math is genuinely hard here.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The income brackets behave normally: $30,001-$48,000 pays $24,992, $48,001-$75,000 pays $26,654, and $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $30,518. Middle-income families face the squeeze hardest -- enough income to lose Pell eligibility, not enough to absorb $25-30K/year easily. For families in this range, a Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Ohio public design program would deliver a comparable creative education at $10-15K less per year.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,001+ pay $37,436 -- close to full freight, $150,000 over four years. For high-income families, the question is whether to pay this for CIA when comparable money would buy RISD, Pratt, MICA, or ArtCenter, all of which post measurably better placement and earnings outcomes. CIA's strongest value is at the lower-income brackets where the discount is steeper; at full price, better-named alternatives become competitive.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Cleveland Institute of Art with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $47,147 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $33,253 | F |
| Graphic Communications | $19,409 | 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 (which includes industrial and product design at CIA) is the largest and best-performing program: 55 graduates, $23,358 first-year and $47,147 four-year earnings, $27,000 debt, 1.156 debt-to-earnings ratio, F grade. The four-year earnings ramp doubles first-year earnings, which signals real career progression into design roles at consumer-product companies, automotive (CIA has a noted automotive design pipeline), and consumer-tech firms. The F grade reflects that even this best-case CIA outcome is poor relative to the cost. Strong students with strong portfolios who break into automotive design at GM, Ford, or tier-one suppliers can do meaningfully better than the median.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine Arts graduates 34 students per year with $18,839 first-year and $33,253 four-year earnings against $27,000 debt -- a 1.433 debt-to-earnings ratio and F grade. These are catastrophic numbers. Bachelor's-only fine artists almost universally struggle to earn living wages from their art alone, and the Cleveland gallery economy is small. Students entering this program need to be honest with themselves about whether the credential is worth $117K versus self-directed practice, an MFA with funding, or a public-university art program.
Graphic Communications
Graphic Communications (19 graduates) shows $19,409 first-year earnings against $27,000 debt -- a 1.391 ratio and F grade. Four-year earnings data is missing. The graphic-design labor market is brutal at entry level, with substantial competition from self-taught and bootcamp-trained designers who didn't pay $117K to enter the field. CIA students who pivot toward digital, UX, or motion design can earn materially more, but as currently measured by Scorecard the program ROI is unsupportable.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 64.5% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.4% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 71.4% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 80.9% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 61.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 480-620 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-660 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 23-29 |
| Enrollment | 539 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 42.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,134 |
CIA admits 61.4% of applicants, which is more selective than most specialized art schools. SAT mid-50% bands run Math 480-620 and Reading 500-660, with ACT 23-29 -- typical for a portfolio-driven arts admissions process where standardized tests are de-emphasized. Portfolio review is the real selector here, not test scores. The 57.7% completion rate suggests the admissions process screens reasonably well, but arts students often face financial or motivational stop-outs that pure academic ability doesn't predict.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Among peers, CIA is comparable to Art Academy of Cincinnati -- another small Ohio fine-arts school with similarly weak ROI driven by the same structural issue (high tuition, low earnings outcomes for arts careers). Allegheny Wesleyan and Cambridge College are not direct arts peers but share the small-private profile. Drury University Continuing Studies and Touro Worldwide are online-leaning programs with very different student profiles. Within the dedicated arts-school cohort, CIA performs in line with other regional art and design colleges -- which is to say, nowhere near a positive ROI score. RISD and Pratt charge similar prices but with materially better placement and higher earnings.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Institute of Art (this school) | 23 | $29,208 | $42,509 |
| California College of the Arts | 27 | $53,909 | $49,414 |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | 27 | $57,742 | $43,325 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 26 | $49,430 | $45,954 |
| Laguna College of Art and Design | 22 | $42,505 | $47,867 |
| Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design | 22 | $26,541 | $41,174 |
Who Thrives Here
CIA fits the dedicated young artist who has a portfolio, knows they want a career in industrial design, animation, illustration, or fine arts, and either has family resources to cover the cost without significant borrowing OR is willing to take on substantial debt for a creative career. Enrollment of 539 and a 42.2% Pell rate indicate a small, working-class-leaning student body. The school's BFA programs and Cleveland's relatively low cost of living are real advantages over similar coastal art schools. Students should price-shop against Kent State or Ohio State, both of which offer respectable design programs at fraction of the cost, before committing to CIA.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Cleveland Institute of Art. With a net cost of $29,208 per year and median graduate earnings of only $42,509 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 34.2 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and high debt relative to what graduates earn and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 against $42,509 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
New analyses, updated school profiles, and tools - when there’s something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.