Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Lancaster, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 99.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 18/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design earns the Below Benchmark tier with an overall ROI score of 18 out of 100. The most striking data point: the payback period is calculated at 999 years - our system's way of saying that on the median earnings data, the typical graduate's degree premium never recoups the cost of attendance. The earnings premium over the average high school graduate is actually negative (-1.4%). Median 10-year earnings are just $33,301; median debt is $27,000; the debt-to-earnings ratio is 1.111 (graduates owe more than they earn). Tuition is $32,150 per year, average net price is $30,083, and the four-year cost lands at $120,332. The one bright spot is the 68.5% completion rate (sub-score 76), which is genuinely strong - PCAD does retain students through their degrees. But completing the degree does not appear to translate to financial outcomes that justify the cost. This is a small specialized art school where students should approach the financial commitment with eyes wide open.
How Pennsylvania 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 Score18/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.11 - 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.
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $32,150/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $32,150/yr |
| Average net price | $30,083/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $120,332 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $33,301 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $24,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 68.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 400 |
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: $32,150/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $30,083/year, or roughly $120,332 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 $24,547/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $37,851/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($24,300) and comes to 1.11, 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 | $24,547 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $24,115 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $26,576 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $30,876 |
| $110,001+ | $37,851 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $24,547 per year, while $30,001-$48,000 pays $24,115 (a slight inversion). Over four years that's roughly $98,000. With negative earnings premium and 1.111 debt-to-earnings ratio, low-income graduates are likely to face genuine financial hardship after leaving.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $26,576 per year, while $75,001-$110,000 pays $30,876. Over four years that's $106,000-$124,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning above $110,000 pay $37,851 per year (above the published tuition figure - this likely includes mandatory fees, housing, and supplies), or roughly $151,000 over four years. At full pay PCAD makes essentially no financial sense; the appeal would have to be a strong artistic match with the school's specific pedagogy and community.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $38,275 | 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 essentially PCAD's entire program, with 36 graduates per year. Median first-year earnings of $25,830 against $27,000 of debt produce a 1.045 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Four-year earnings rise modestly to $38,275 - decent career progression, but starting from a low base. Graphic design, illustration, and applied arts careers are real but rarely lucrative, especially without big-city employer access. The Lancaster market simply does not pay enough to recoup PCAD's cost.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 67.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Pennsylvania 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 | 99.2% |
| Enrollment | 400 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 47.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,574 |
PCAD admits 99.2% of applicants - effectively fully open access. The combination of near-100% admission and a 68.5% completion rate suggests PCAD admits passionate art students and successfully retains them; the issue is not academic. The issue is the labor market for design and applied arts graduates from a small unbranded art school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
PCAD's 18 score reflects a negative earnings premium and a payback period shown as 999 years, meaning earnings never recoup cost.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (this school) | 18 | $30,083 | $33,301 |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | 19 | $29,926 | $40,873 |
| 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 |
| Maine College of Art & Design | 17 | $38,338 | $40,778 |
Who Thrives Here
PCAD fits a very specific student: someone with a strong portfolio, deep commitment to design and applied arts, and a clear-eyed understanding that this is an artistic vocation choice with weak financial returns. With just 400 students, PCAD is an intimate art school community, and the 47.4% Pell rate means the school primarily serves working-class students - exactly the population least equipped to absorb the financial damage when the credential does not pay off.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design scores 18/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $30,083 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $33,301 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 it has going for it: its 68.5% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.11 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 66.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $24,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.11. 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.
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design: Common Questions
Is Pennsylvania College of Art and Design worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design scores 18/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $30,083 a year after aid against $33,301 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 Pennsylvania 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 $30,083 a year, or roughly $120,332 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 Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $33,301 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $24,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.11. 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 Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?
The six-year graduation rate is 68.5%, 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.