Northwest College of Art & Design
Tacoma, Washington · Private For-Profit · 66.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 17/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Northwest College of Art & Design earns a Below Benchmark ROI score of 17, and the headline number is the 999-year payback flag: earnings never recoup the educational investment under standard assumptions. Tuition is $18,100 with net price of $16,418 and four-year cost of $65,672. Average earnings six years out are $32,400 - and counterintuitively, median ten-year earnings are lower at $31,167, indicating either survey noise on a small cohort or genuine wage stagnation. Median debt of $30,750 is high relative to those earnings (debt-to-earnings ratio 0.949). The earnings premium subscore of 3 reflects raw earnings that are actually negative versus a high-school baseline. Completion rate of 57.7% is mediocre. Repayment data is imputed because the sample is too small to publish reliably. As of 2024-2025 Scorecard data, NCAD shows the for-profit art school problem in its starkest form: students borrow meaningful sums for credentials that don't produce meaningful career earnings.
How Northwest 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.
- 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.
Northwest College of Art & Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,100/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,100/yr |
| Average net price | $16,418/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $65,672 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $31,167 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $30,750 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $326 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 57.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 139 |
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: $18,100/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $16,418/year, or roughly $65,672 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 $12,977/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,101/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $30,750, which works out to about $326 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,400) and comes to 0.95, 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 | $12,977 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,857 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,146 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,031 |
| $110,001+ | $29,101 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $12,977. Four-year cost over $51,000 against $32,400 average earnings. For Pell-eligible students this is a clear financial risk; treat the credential as a pure passion investment if pursued at all.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($30,001-$48,000) actually get the best price at $11,857 - lower than the bottom bracket. The brackets show an inversion across the lowest tiers. Four-year cost around $47,000. Even at this price the math does not work given the $30,750 median debt and depressed earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($110,001+) pay $29,101 - the highest bracket, consistent with a partial-progressive aid pattern. Four-year cost approaches $116,000. For full-pay families, in our view, the financial case is weak.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Northwest College of Art & Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $35,885 | 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
NCAD's sole reported program graduates 17 students annually with first-year earnings of $27,694 and four-year earnings of $35,885. Median debt of $30,750 produces a 1.11 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. NCAD graduates face an uphill battle to place into earnings levels that justify the debt. This is fundamentally a passion-driven enrollment, not an economic investment.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 66.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Northwest 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 | 66.0% |
| Enrollment | 139 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.7% |
NCAD admits 66.0% of applicants - moderately selective, likely portfolio-driven. The tiny enrollment of 139 means individual cohort outcomes drive the statistics, so year-to-year variation will be high. Prospective students should view the data as directional rather than precise.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest College of Art & Design (this school) | 17 | $16,418 | $31,167 |
| 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 |
| Maine College of Art & Design | 17 | $38,338 | $40,778 |
Who Thrives Here
NCAD fits artistically committed students drawn specifically to its Tacoma-area community art-school environment and willing to fund the education with minimal borrowing. Enrollment is 139. Pell rate of 50.7% is high, indicating a working-class student body taking on real risk. The sole reported program (Design and Applied Arts) produces an F ROI grade with debt exceeding annual earnings.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Northwest College of Art & Design scores 17/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $16,418 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $31,167 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 0.95 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $30,750 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95. 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.
Northwest College of Art & Design: Common Questions
Is Northwest College of Art & Design worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Northwest College of Art & Design scores 17/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $16,418 a year after aid against $31,167 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 Northwest 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 $16,418 a year, or roughly $65,672 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 Northwest College of Art & Design graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $31,167 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 Northwest 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 Northwest College of Art & Design. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Northwest College of Art & Design graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $30,750, against average earnings of $32,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95. 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 Northwest College of Art & Design?
The six-year graduation rate is 57.7%. 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.