Pacific Northwest College of Art
Portland, Oregon · Private Nonprofit · 74.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 7/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Pacific Northwest College of Art scores 7 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The numbers are unambiguous: average 6-year earnings of $23,500, a payback period recorded as 999 (effectively infinite), a completion rate of 29.1%, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.064, and a 3-year loan repayment rate of only 54.2%. PNCA is a small art-focused institution; it charges $49,006 in tuition with a $35,785 average net price. The Design and Applied Arts program (42 graduates) carries a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.379 - graduates owe nearly one and a half times their annual earnings. Fine and Studio Arts (21 graduates, $25,906 year-one, ROI grade F) is only marginally better. PNCA has a 29.1% completion rate and average earnings of $23,500.
How Pacific Northwest College of Art 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 Score7/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.06 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate29.1% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- 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.
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $49,006/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $49,006/yr |
| Average net price | $35,785/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $143,140 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,883 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 29.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 420 |
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: $49,006/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $35,785/year, or roughly $143,140 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 $28,219/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $44,522/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($23,500) and comes to 1.06, 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 | $28,219 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $30,517 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $30,916 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $36,998 |
| $110,001+ | $44,522 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $28,219 net price per year at PNCA - a high cost for the lowest-income families against $23,500 average 6-year earnings. With a 40.5% Pell grant rate, PNCA serves a substantial low-income population. For low-income students, this is a high-risk financial bet: the debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.064 means the median graduate owes more than a full year's salary, and the 29.1% completion rate means most students who borrow do not earn the degree. The financial case is very difficult to construct.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $30,916 per year; those earning $75,001-$110,000 pay $36,998. These are very high net prices against the earnings this degree produces. A student paying $31k per year for four years who earns $23,500 at year six faces a repayment burden that will dominate their early career.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $44,522 per year, totaling roughly $178,088 over four years. At this price against $23,500 average earnings, the financial math does not work. High-income families who want to support a student's art education should evaluate whether the student's career goals require a standalone art school degree or whether a strong art program at a comprehensive university would serve them better at lower total cost.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Pacific Northwest College of Art with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $19,501 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $25,906 | F |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $13,895 | - |
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 PNCA's largest program at 42 graduates, with $19,501 year-one earnings, ROI grade F, debt-to-earnings ratio 1.379. Graduates owe nearly 1.4 times their year-one salary in debt. Median debt of $26,899 is higher than the $19,501 in year-one earnings. Four-year earnings data are not available. Portland's design industry provides some employment for PNCA graduates.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts has 21 graduates earning $25,906 year-one, ROI grade F, debt-to-earnings ratio 1.042. Graduates owe slightly more than a full year's salary in debt. Four-year earnings data are not available. The year-one figure of $25,906 for fine arts graduates is consistent with national patterns for studio arts programs - the labor market for fine arts is limited and competitive - but at PNCA's price point, the ratio of cost to outcome is particularly adverse. Students pursuing fine arts as a terminal undergraduate credential should research employment outcomes carefully regardless of institution.
Visual and Performing Arts
Visual and Performing Arts has 15 graduates with only $13,895 year-one earnings reported. No four-year earnings or debt-to-earnings ratio is available. A year-one earning of $13,895 suggests most graduates are working part-time, freelancing, or in very early-stage arts careers. This program captures the most economically exposed graduates at PNCA.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 46.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 54.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 56.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 54.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Pacific Northwest College of Art’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 | 74.9% |
| Enrollment | 420 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 40.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,311 |
A 74.9% acceptance rate for a portfolio-based admissions process indicates that PNCA accepts most applicants who submit materials. Acceptance does not predict completion - at 29.1%, the majority of students who enroll do not finish. Portfolio-based admission screens for artistic interest but not necessarily for the academic or financial resilience needed to complete a four-year private art degree.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest College of Art (this school) | 7 | $35,785 | $34,883 |
| 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 |
| Nossi College of Art and Design | 6 | $24,044 | $35,113 |
Who Thrives Here
PNCA admits 74.9% of applicants and does not report SAT or ACT score ranges - consistent with a specialized art school admissions process based primarily on portfolio review. At 420 enrolled students, it is very small. Students considering PNCA should understand that the Portland art and design labor market, while real, is small and highly competitive.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Pacific Northwest College of Art scores 7/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $35,785 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,883 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 29.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 54.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $23,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. 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.
Pacific Northwest College of Art: Common Questions
Is Pacific Northwest College of Art worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Pacific Northwest College of Art scores 7/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $35,785 a year after aid against $34,883 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 Pacific Northwest College of Art 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 $35,785 a year, or roughly $143,140 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 Pacific Northwest College of Art graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,883 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 Pacific Northwest College of Art?
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 Pacific Northwest College of Art. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Pacific Northwest College of Art graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $23,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. 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 Pacific Northwest College of Art?
The six-year graduation rate is 29.1%. 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.