Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Boston, Massachusetts · Public · 76.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 29/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
MassArt scores 29 (Below Benchmark), driven by a 27.5-year payback period, $31,200 average six-year earnings, and debt-to-earnings ratios that reach F-grade territory in its three core programs. The 68.9% completion rate does not offset the earnings reality. This institution requires honest financial planning before enrolling.
How Massachusetts 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 Score29/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period27.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $15,400/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $43,400/yr |
| Average net price | $24,100/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $96,400 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,582 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,755 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $273 |
| Estimated payback period | 27.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 68.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,831 |
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: $15,400/year ($43,400/year out-of-state), 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 $24,100/year, or roughly $96,400 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 $16,351/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $31,882/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,755, which works out to about $273 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,200) and comes to 0.82, 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 | $16,351 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,636 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,513 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $26,265 |
| $110,001+ | $31,882 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-$30,000 income bracket pays $16,351 per year. The 29.5% Pell rate indicates MassArt does serve a meaningful low-income population. For low-income students, the financial risk here is acute: borrowing at this price against $22,000-$25,000 year-one wages creates a debt-to-earnings situation that is hard to escape without income-based repayment.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $18,513 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket rises to $26,265 per year. The financial case for MassArt requires accepting that this is a vocational investment in creative career infrastructure, not a financial return calculation.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000 or more pay $31,882 per year - $127,500 over four years. At full price, the payback period at median earnings extends beyond 40 years. High-income families choosing MassArt should do so with full knowledge that the credential does not produce earnings that justify the cost - this is a choice about artistic career preparation, not financial investment.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at Massachusetts College of Art and Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $45,716 | F |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $51,139 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $40,999 | F |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $54,947 | 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.
Teacher Education, Subject-Specific
Teacher Education (16 graduates) is MassArt's strongest-earning program: $39,251 year one, $54,947 year four, with a C-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.688. This is the art education licensing track - graduates become K-12 art teachers in Massachusetts. The earnings are modest but the debt-to-earnings ratio is the only one at MassArt that avoids an F grade. Massachusetts teacher salaries provide more stability than freelance art careers, making this the most financially predictable path at the institution.
Design and Applied Arts
Design (129 graduates) is MassArt's largest program and earns only $24,706 year one and $45,716 year four with an F-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.052. Median debt of $26,000 exceeds a full year's starting wages. The year-one to year-four gap suggests career development takes time - but the year-one figure means early earnings are modest.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film and Photography (91 graduates) earns $22,764 year one and $51,139 year four with an F-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.141. The four-year figure is the only encouraging data point - $51k at year four reflects some graduates finding sustainable creative employment, likely in digital media and production. The year-one figure of $22,764 means most graduates cannot service standard student loan payments for several years post-graduation.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine Arts (79 graduates) earns $21,461 year one and $40,999 year four with an F-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.211 and $26,000 median debt. This is the most financially exposed program at MassArt. Fine art careers are economically precarious by nature, and the Scorecard data confirms that reality. Graduates earning $21,461 year one while carrying $26,000 in debt are mathematically unable to meet standard repayment terms without income-based relief or family support.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 70.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 74.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 66.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 72.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Massachusetts 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 | 76.3% |
| Enrollment | 1,831 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 29.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,690 |
MassArt admits 76.3% of applicants; no SAT or ACT data is reported in the Scorecard, and the institution is test-optional or test-blind. Portfolio quality and artistic commitment are the primary admissions factors. The 76.3% rate reflects an applicant pool that is self-selected by interest - most people who apply to an art-only public college have already made a vocational choice that narrows the applicant pool substantially.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design (this school) | 29 | $24,100 | $43,582 |
| College for Creative Studies | 30 | $34,617 | $44,860 |
| School of Visual Arts | 30 | $57,914 | $46,459 |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | 29 | $42,729 | $45,212 |
| California College of the Arts | 27 | $53,909 | $49,414 |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | 27 | $57,742 | $43,325 |
Who Thrives Here
MassArt serves students who have made a deliberate choice to pursue a career in art and design, understanding that financial return is not the primary measure of success. Located in Boston's Fenway arts district with proximity to the SMFA, Museum of Fine Arts, and a large creative sector, the institution provides genuine exposure to professional networks. Students who attend MassArt and thrive are typically those who treat the credential as career infrastructure rather than a financial investment. Anyone expecting an earnings-based return on investment at this school will be disappointed - the data is clear on that point.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Massachusetts College of Art and Design scores 29/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $24,100 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,582 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 27.5 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 it has going for it: its 68.9% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,755 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. 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.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design: Common Questions
Is Massachusetts College of Art and Design worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Massachusetts College of Art and Design scores 29/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $24,100 a year after aid against $43,582 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 27.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Massachusetts 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 $24,100 a year, or roughly $96,400 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 Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,582 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,782 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 Massachusetts 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 27.5 years for Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,755, against average earnings of $31,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82. 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 Massachusetts College of Art and Design?
The six-year graduation rate is 68.9%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.