Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, Washington · Private Nonprofit · 62.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 17/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle scores a 17 - Below Benchmark - and the data justifies that rating. Average 6-year earnings are $28,000. The payback period is listed as 999 years, a computational signal that earnings never surpass costs. Net price is $40,062 per year - more than $160,000 over four years. Median debt of $27,000 with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96 means a typical graduate owes nearly a full year of gross income before food, rent, or any other expense. Only Design and Applied Arts shows four-year earnings ($53,773) that offer some cushion; Drama, Music, and Fine Arts all earn F grades. The school has 488 students, a 56.4% completion rate, and admits 62% of applicants. This is not a school where the ROI data works out for most students.
How Cornish College of the Arts 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 Score17/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 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.
Cornish College of the Arts
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $41,684/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $41,684/yr |
| Average net price | $40,062/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $160,248 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $33,696 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 56.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 488 |
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: $41,684/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $40,062/year, or roughly $160,248 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 $31,806/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $47,206/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 ($28,000) and comes to 0.96, 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 | $31,806 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $32,992 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $34,781 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $42,906 |
| $110,001+ | $47,206 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay a net price of $31,806 per year at Cornish. Low-income students at Cornish face a high risk of graduating with debt that exceeds their annual earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30k-48k bracket pays $32,992 per year; the 48k-75k bracket rises to $34,781. Cost climbs gradually. Middle-income families are paying roughly $33,000-$35,000 annually - a number that implies significant borrowing or family sacrifice for a school where average graduate earnings are $28,000 at six years.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $47,206 per year - close to full sticker. At this price point, the ROI calculus only works if the student has exceptional talent and career trajectory. For most high-income families, Cornish at near-full price is a poor financial decision unless the student's artistic career trajectory is already demonstrably strong.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Cornish College of the Arts with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $43,576 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $39,242 | F |
| Music | $18,453 | F |
| Dance | $34,503 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $53,773 | C+ |
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 is Cornish's strongest program by ROI. Four-year median earnings are $53,773 with median debt of $27,000, giving a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50 and a C+ ROI grade - modest but the best available here. With only 8 graduates per year, the program is very small. Graduates enter graphic design, UX design, illustration, and art direction roles in Seattle's tech-heavy market. This is the one program at Cornish where the earnings data suggests a real path forward.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Drama graduates 24 students per year - the largest program by headcount - with year-one median earnings of $19,045 and year-four earnings of $43,576. Median debt is $27,000 with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.42 and an F ROI grade. Theatre graduates in year one are typically working service jobs, hourly gigs, or entry-level roles while pursuing performing work. By year four, some find their footing in acting, directing, or production. But the debt-to-earnings ratio is 1.42, meaning median debt exceeds first-year earnings. The Seattle performing arts scene is real.
Dance
Dance graduates 9 students per year with year-one median earnings of $27,255 and year-four earnings of $34,503. Median debt of $27,000 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.99 and a D ROI grade. Dance graduates work in performance, teaching, and community arts programming. The earnings plateau is real - most dance careers don't see significant income growth in the traditional sense, which makes the debt-to-earnings math persistently tight. Students who see dance as a calling and can minimize borrowing may find this path workable; students financing a degree at full net price face a very long repayment horizon.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 68.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Cornish College of the Arts’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 62.2% |
| Enrollment | 488 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 29.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,957 |
Cornish admits 62% of applicants. No SAT or ACT score ranges are available. Arts school admissions typically weight portfolio and audition over test scores. The admission rate means acceptance is not difficult for committed arts students, but the financial and career risk profile is high regardless of admission.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornish College of the Arts (this school) | 17 | $40,062 | $33,696 |
| Gonzaga University | 81 | $35,119 | $78,892 |
| Heritage University | 51 | $14,598 | $49,416 |
| Cambridge College | 21 | $31,072 | $45,998 |
| Caribbean University-Ponce | 17 | $4,964 | $22,842 |
| University of Valley Forge | 16 | $32,265 | $39,016 |
Who Thrives Here
Cornish serves students with strong artistic commitment and a Seattle orientation. Pell Grant recipients make up nearly 30% of students, which is significant given the high net price - many lower-income students here take on substantial debt. The admission rate is 62%. Students who fare best here are those who enter with industry contacts, work professionally during school, or plan careers in film production, commercial design, or performing arts administration rather than pure fine arts. The data shows Design and Applied Arts as the only program with defensible earnings.
The Verdict, Historically: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Cornish College of the Arts is now part of Seattle University. The assessment below describes how this school performed while it was operating, and is not a recommendation about where to enroll now.
Under our methodology, Cornish College of the Arts scores 17/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $40,062 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $33,696 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.7% (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 $28,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96. 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.
Cornish College of the Arts: Common Questions
Is Cornish College of the Arts worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Cornish College of the Arts scores 17/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $40,062 a year after aid against $33,696 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 Cornish College of the Arts 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 $40,062 a year, or roughly $160,248 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 Cornish College of the Arts graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $33,696 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 Cornish College of the Arts?
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 Cornish College of the Arts. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Cornish College of the Arts graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $28,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96. 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 Cornish College of the Arts?
The six-year graduation rate is 56.4%. 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.