Nossi College of Art and Design
Nashville, Tennessee · Private For-Profit · 46.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 6/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Nossi College of Art and Design earns the Below Benchmark tier with an ROI score of 6 out of 100. The Nashville, Tennessee for-profit posts a sticker tuition of $20,350 with a $24,044 net price (a flag: net price exceeds tuition because room, board, and required fees push total costs above the headline number). Four-year cost-of-attendance lands at $96,176. The headline failure metric is a 2,090-year payback period: this is essentially the algorithm's way of saying the degree never recoups its cost in any reasonable working life. Average 6-year earnings of just $24,400 against $33,498 median debt produces a 1.373 debt-to-earnings ratio: graduates owe nearly 1.4 times what they earn in their first year out. Median 10-year earnings climb only to $35,113. The 41.8% completion rate is poor, and the 41.8% three-year repayment rate is identical, oddly. With only one program reported (Design and Applied Arts) and that program carrying an F ROI grade with a 1.898 debt-to-earnings ratio, the financial case for Nossi is essentially absent.
How Nossi 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 Score6/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.37 - 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.
Nossi College of Art and Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $20,350/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $20,350/yr |
| Average net price | $24,044/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $96,176 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,113 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $24,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $33,498 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $355 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 41.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 247 |
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: $20,350/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 $24,044/year, or roughly $96,176 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 $23,099/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $33,498, which works out to about $355 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($24,400) and comes to 1.37, 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 | $23,099 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,454 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,646 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $27,098 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30K pay $23,099 net annually, with $30,001-48,000 households paying slightly more at $23,454. Four-year burden of $92K-$94K against $24,400 expected early-career earnings is structurally unworkable. Pell-eligible students should not enroll without first evaluating community college transfer pathways and Tennessee public art programs.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $24,646 to $27,098 net annually, putting four-year costs at $99K-$108K. Tennessee residents have access to the HOPE Scholarship and Tennessee Reconnect programs that materially reduce public-college costs.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $110,001-plus bracket is not reported, indicating effectively no high-income students attend.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Nossi College of Art and Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $35,075 | 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 is Nossi's only reported program with 31 graduates per year. First-year median earnings of $24,497 against $46,500 median debt creates a 1.898 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Year-four earnings of $35,075 show only modest improvement. Nashville's creative economy has roles for design talent.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 39.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 41.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 37.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 35.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Nossi 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 | 46.3% |
| Enrollment | 247 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 57.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,917 |
Nossi College admits 46.3% of applicants, which on paper looks moderately selective but in practice reflects portfolio review for art and design fit rather than academic credentials. SAT and ACT scores are not reported in current Scorecard data. The completion rate is 41.8%.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nossi College of Art and Design (this school) | 6 | $24,044 | $35,113 |
| California College of ASU | 14 | $17,683 | $42,014 |
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | 14 | $42,454 | $29,881 |
| Montserrat College of Art | 13 | $33,216 | $33,022 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | 9 | $34,253 | $34,368 |
| Pacific Northwest College of Art | 7 | $35,785 | $34,883 |
Who Thrives Here
Nossi College fits Nashville-area students with strong creative interests and limited financial resources. With just 247 enrolled and a 57.3% Pell rate, the institution serves a heavily working-class student body. The fundamental issue is the financial structure: students leave with $33K+ in debt against $24K early-career earnings, an unworkable picture for nearly any career outcome.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Nossi College of Art and Design scores 6/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $24,044 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $35,113 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 41.8% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.37 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 41.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $33,498 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $24,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.37. 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.
Nossi College of Art and Design: Common Questions
Is Nossi College of Art and Design worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Nossi College of Art and Design scores 6/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $24,044 a year after aid against $35,113 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 Nossi 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 $24,044 a year, or roughly $96,176 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 Nossi College of Art and Design graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $35,113 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 Nossi 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 more than 50 years for Nossi College of Art and Design. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Nossi College of Art and Design graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $33,498, against average earnings of $24,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.37. 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 Nossi College of Art and Design?
The six-year graduation rate is 41.8%. 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.