Maine College of Art & Design
Portland, Maine · Private Nonprofit · 76.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 17/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Maine College of Art & Design earns an ROI score of 17, in the Below Benchmark tier. Sticker tuition is $42,942 with average net price of $38,338, totaling $153,352 over four years. Median 10-year earnings are just $40,778 and the payback period is 50.8 years, an extreme figure that effectively means the median graduate never recoups educational cost on earnings alone. The 1.125 debt-to-earnings ratio (subscore 3) means students owe more than 112% of annual earnings, and median debt of $27,000 is heavy against earnings of just $24,000 at the six-year mark. Completion sits at 51.6%. The school's mission, training fine and studio artists, has clear cultural value.
How Maine College of Art & 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 Score17/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.13 - 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.
Maine College of Art & Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $42,942/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $42,942/yr |
| Average net price | $38,338/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $153,352 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,778 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $24,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 415 |
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: $42,942/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $38,338/year, or roughly $153,352 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 $31,589/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $42,001/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 ($24,000) and comes to 1.13, 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 | $31,589 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $33,075 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $35,283 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $40,992 |
| $110,001+ | $42,001 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $31,589 per year, $126,400 over four years. With median 10-year earnings of $40,778 and median debt of $27,000, low-income students at the published net price face a financial picture that simply does not pencil out under standard repayment assumptions.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $35,283 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $40,992. Four-year cost runs $141,100 to $164,000, well above the published institutional total. The payback period is 50.8 years.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $42,001 per year, $168,000 across four years, essentially full sticker. The 1.125 debt-to-earnings ratio for typical borrowers (most full-pay students borrow less) and weak earnings outcomes make this a consumption decision rather than a financial investment, families should treat the price as paying for an art-school experience, not a return on capital.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Maine College of Art & Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $39,443 | D |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $34,720 | F |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $41,600 | - |
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 the largest program with 33 graduates and earns a D ROI grade. First-year earnings of $29,001 grow to $39,443 by year four, modest growth that does not keep pace with $27,000 in median debt. The 0.931 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe roughly 93% of annual earnings.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts earns an F ROI grade with 22 graduates. First-year earnings of $24,555 and four-year earnings of $34,720 against $27,000 in median debt produce a 1.1 debt-to-earnings ratio.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 70.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 77.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 79.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Maine College of Art & 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 | 76.1% |
| Enrollment | 415 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 28.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,529 |
Maine College of Art & Design admits 76.1% of applicants, a moderately open-admission posture. SAT and ACT mid-50% bands are not reported in current Scorecard data, consistent with art school admissions that rely heavily on portfolio review rather than standardized tests. Prospective applicants should expect portfolio-driven evaluation as the primary gate. The 51.6% completion rate suggests roughly half of admits do not finish, a meaningful risk at the price point.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine College of Art & Design (this school) | 17 | $38,338 | $40,778 |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | 19 | $29,439 | $40,664 |
| Kansas City Art Institute | 18 | $27,650 | $37,032 |
| Moore College of Art and Design | 18 | $43,086 | $37,839 |
| Pennsylvania College of Art and Design | 18 | $30,083 | $33,301 |
| Northwest College of Art & Design | 17 | $16,418 | $31,167 |
Who Thrives Here
With just 415 students and a 28.6% Pell rate, Maine College of Art & Design is a small art-focused private in Portland. The school fits committed art and design students who have evaluated the financial reality of art careers and are choosing the school for program fit and mentorship rather than ROI. For most students, the math does not work, the 50.8-year payback flag is the dominant signal.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Maine College of Art & Design scores 17/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $38,338 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,778 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 51.5% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.13 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 71.1% (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 $24,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.13. 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.
Maine College of Art & Design: Common Questions
Is Maine College of Art & Design worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Maine College of Art & Design scores 17/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $38,338 a year after aid against $40,778 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 Maine College of Art & 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 $38,338 a year, or roughly $153,352 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 Maine College of Art & Design graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,778 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 Maine College of Art & 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 more than 50 years for Maine College of Art & Design. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Maine College of Art & Design graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $24,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.13. 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 Maine College of Art & Design?
The six-year graduation rate is 51.5%. 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.