Newschool of Architecture and Design
San Diego, California · Private For-Profit · 100.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 38/100 · Poor Value
Newschool of Architecture and Design in San Diego is a small private for-profit specialty institution that posts a Poor Value ROI score of 38/100. The financial profile shows the classic for-profit specialty-school squeeze: tuition is $30,291 but net price is $52,570 - nearly double tuition - putting four-year all-in cost at a steep $210,280. Median earnings six years after entry are $39,200, climbing to $68,891 at ten years (the architecture-licensure trajectory). The 10.3-year payback period and high debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.791 (79 cents of debt per dollar of early earnings) drag the score down. Repayment rate of 57.1% signals real distress: more than four in ten borrowers are not making progress on principal seven years out. Completion is decent at 61.9% for a for-profit specialty school. The earnings premium over high-school grads is 16.1%, modest. For students committed to architecture, the field requires either a 5-year B.Arch or a master's for licensure, and that lengthy path inflates debt while delaying earnings. Construction management graduates do well ($101,676 four-year earnings), but the cohort is tiny.
The data raises concerns about Newschool of Architecture and Design
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score38/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
Newschool of Architecture and Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,291/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,291/yr |
| Average net price | $52,570/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $210,280 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $68,891 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $329 |
| Estimated payback period | 10.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 61.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 182 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Newschool of Architecture and Design is $30,291/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $52,570/year, or roughly $210,280 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $47,379/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The median graduate leaves with $31,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $329 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $68,891 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.79 - 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 | $47,379 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $60,356 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $47,379 per year net - extraordinarily high for the lowest income bracket. Aid does not scale meaningfully here. Four-year cost is $189,516. Against $39,200 six-year earnings, this is one of the more difficult financial profiles for low-income students in this batch.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket is not reported (likely small cohort). The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $60,356 - higher than the lowest bracket and approaching the published cost-of-attendance. The aid curve here is essentially flat or inverted, a flag worth raising. Higher middle-income brackets are also not reported.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for families above $110,000 is not reported. The narrow disclosure pattern suggests a small applicant base across most income tiers and a school where most students are lower-income borrowers.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Newschool of Architecture and Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $37,132 | F |
| Construction Management | $101,676 | - |
| Architecture | $74,587 | - |
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.
Architecture
Architecture is the flagship program with $74,587 in four-year median earnings (first-year data not reported, and the graduate count is also missing). These four-year numbers reflect post-licensure earnings, which require sitting for the ARE exam after the 5-year B.Arch or M.Arch. The path is long and the debt accrues during it. For students committed to becoming licensed architects in California, the program is real, but the financial math requires careful planning.
Construction Management
Construction management (4 grads) posts $101,676 four-year median earnings - the strongest number on campus. The cohort is too small to draw firm conclusions, but the San Diego construction labor market is strong and the program likely places well. With more graduate-count history, this could be the standout.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and applied arts (9 grads) earns $37,132 first-year with $39,251 median debt and a 1.057 debt-to-earnings ratio - an F ROI grade. Borrowing more than annual earnings for a design credential is structurally hard to recover from. Students considering this program should price-check community-college design programs that produce similar portfolios at a fraction of the cost.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 49.0% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 57.1% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 49.5% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 57.3% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 100.0% |
| Enrollment | 182 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 52.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,140 |
Newschool admits 100% of applicants - fully open-admission, typical of for-profit specialty schools. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported. Open admission is a meaningful signal: there is no academic filter on the front end, which means the burden of academic preparation and persistence sits entirely with the institution and its students. The 62% completion rate is reasonable given the open-access posture but reflects that nearly four in ten don't finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Scorecard peers include Academy of Art University (SF), University of Silicon Valley, DeVry University Ohio, DeVry College of New York, and Miami Regional University. This is a heavily for-profit peer set, and Newschool's 38 ROI sits in the middle of the group. Academy of Art is the closest design-school comp; DeVry institutions are technology-focused for-profits with similar cost-to-earnings problems. None of these schools offers a strong financial case absent very specific career commitment.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newschool of Architecture and Design (this school) | 38 | $52,570 | $68,891 |
| Pratt Institute-Main | 41 | $52,659 | $54,295 |
| Otis College of Art and Design | 36 | $51,248 | $58,152 |
| 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 |
Who Thrives Here
Newschool enrolls just 182 students with a 52.1% Pell rate, a heavily lower-income student body. The fit is narrow: students committed to architecture or construction management who specifically want a small studio-based program in San Diego. For applicants weighing this against community-college pathways to architecture or transfer routes to a California public university (Cal Poly, UC San Diego), the financial case is hard to make.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Newschool of Architecture and Design. With a net cost of $52,570 per year and median graduate earnings of only $68,891 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 10.3 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.
Median debt of $31,000 against $68,891 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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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.