Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, California · Private Nonprofit · 94.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 22/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Laguna College of Art and Design receives a CampusROI score of 22 (Below Benchmark tier) under our methodology, alongside a 51.7% completion rate. Published tuition is $37,500 and the average net price is $42,505 per year, or $170,020 over four years of attendance (a cost figure, not a debt figure). The net price is higher than published tuition because it measures the full cost of attendance after grant aid, not tuition alone. Median debt at graduation is $27,000 against average earnings of $32,200 six years after entry, a 0.839 debt-to-earnings ratio, and median earnings reach $47,867 ten years after entry. Our model estimates a 24.1-year payback period. Three years after leaving, 68.0% of borrowers were making progress on repayment. Completion figures for Laguna College of Art and Design swing between 35.3% and 70.4% across 2009 to 2024 in our historical series, so with 746 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 Laguna College of Art and Design 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 Score22/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period24.1 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Laguna College of Art and Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,500/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,500/yr |
| Average net price | $42,505/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $170,020 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,867 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 24.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 746 |
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: $37,500/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 $42,505/year, or roughly $170,020 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 $37,203/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $46,889/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 ($32,200) and comes to 0.84, 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 | $37,203 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $38,156 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $40,258 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $44,233 |
| $110,001+ | $46,889 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 report an average net price of $37,203 per year, about $148,800 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 $38,156 per year, families earning $48,001-$75,000 report $40,258, and families earning $75,001-$110,000 report $44,233.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 report an average net price of $46,889 per year, about $187,600 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Laguna College of Art and Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $68,934 | D |
| Graphic Communications | $38,850 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $27,815 | 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 94 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and a D grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $27,785 in the first year and $68,934 by year four, against median debt of $27,000 (a 0.972 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Graphic Communications
Graphic Communications has 26 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $17,941 in the first year and $38,850 by year four, against median debt of $27,000 (a 1.505 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts has 12 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $8,482 in the first year and $27,815 by year four, against median debt of $27,625 (a 3.257 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 | 60.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 67.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 74.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Laguna College of Art and Design’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 | 94.3% |
| Enrollment | 746 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 29.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,099 |
Laguna College of Art and Design admits 94.3% of applicants. The completion rate of 51.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna College of Art and Design (this school) | 22 | $42,505 | $47,867 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 26 | $49,430 | $45,954 |
| Cleveland Institute of Art | 23 | $29,208 | $42,509 |
| Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design | 22 | $26,541 | $41,174 |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | 19 | $29,926 | $40,873 |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | 19 | $29,439 | $40,664 |
Who Thrives Here
Students relying heavily on loans should compare the net price for their income bracket using Laguna College of Art and Design's net price calculator.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Laguna College of Art and Design scores 22/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $42,505 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,867 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.1 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 51.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.0% (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 $32,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84. 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.
Laguna College of Art and Design: Common Questions
Is Laguna College of Art and Design worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Laguna College of Art and Design scores 22/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $42,505 a year after aid against $47,867 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Laguna College of Art and Design 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 $42,505 a year, or roughly $170,020 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 Laguna College of Art and Design graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,867 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,067 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Laguna College of Art and Design?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 24.1 years for Laguna College of Art and Design. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Laguna College of Art and Design graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $32,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84. 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 Laguna College of Art and Design?
The six-year graduation rate is 51.7%. 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.