School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois · Private Nonprofit · 77.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 21/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) scores 21 (Below Benchmark). The core problem is a $49,790 average net price against $28,800 average 6-year earnings and a 65.8-year payback period. Median debt is $27,000 with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.938. The repayment rate of 67.1% confirms ongoing debt stress. Families should understand this clearly: attending SAIC is a financially costly commitment to an arts career, not a wealth-building investment.
How School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 Score21/100 - 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.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $56,420/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $56,420/yr |
| Average net price | $49,790/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $199,160 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,151 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,805 |
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: $56,420/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $49,790/year, or roughly $199,160 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 $43,798/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $55,790/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 ($28,800) and comes to 0.94, 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 | $43,798 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $39,845 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $46,708 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $49,595 |
| $110,001+ | $55,790 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $43,798 net price per year at SAIC - an extraordinarily high figure for low-income students. This exceeds the average 6-year earnings of $28,800 by nearly $15,000. The aid program does not adequately protect low-income students from financial exposure, and the debt-to-earnings outcomes for this population are severe.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $46,708 per year. Families in the $75,001-$110,000 band pay $49,595. Families who can fund SAIC from savings or income without borrowing are in a materially different position than those who must borrow.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $55,790 per year - roughly $223,000 over four years at sticker. For families who can fund this out of pocket and view it as cultural or vocational investment rather than a financial return, the calculus is different. Borrowing at this cost level against fine arts earnings deserves a close look on the numbers.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at School of the Art Institute of Chicago with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Fine and Studio Arts | $45,602 | 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.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts is SAIC's only reported Scorecard program: 581 graduates, $23,984 year-one median earnings, $45,602 at year four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.126 (ROI grade F). Graduates owe more than a full year's salary on day one. The year-four figure of $45,602 represents the median, meaning half of graduates earn less than that six years post-enrollment. This outcome is not unique to SAIC - it reflects the fine arts labor market broadly - but SAIC's $49,790 net price makes the math especially unfavorable.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How School of the Art Institute of Chicago’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 | 77.5% |
| Enrollment | 2,805 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 18.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $11,628 |
SAIC's admission rate is 77.5%. No SAT or ACT data is published. The portfolio and creative work evaluation drives admissions decisions more than academic metrics. The admission rate means admitted students are a filtered creative cohort, but the earnings outcomes reflect the structural constraints of the fine arts labor market regardless of institutional selectivity.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The ROI score of 21 reflects the structural economics of art school, not institutional dysfunction.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago (this school) | 21 | $49,790 | $40,151 |
| Augustana College | 67 | $22,736 | $62,971 |
| Aurora University | 66 | $18,838 | $58,709 |
| Campbellsville University | 25 | $19,341 | $41,583 |
| Everglades University | 24 | $27,371 | $47,597 |
| Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies | 24 | $20,473 | $47,327 |
Who Thrives Here
SAIC admits 77.5% of applicants with a Pell grant rate of 18.7%. At 2,805 students, it is a mid-sized specialized art school in a major city. SAIC is appropriate for students with a genuine commitment to professional fine arts careers and a financial plan that does not depend on a traditional earnings payback. It is not appropriate for students who need a degree to produce income that services the debt incurred to earn it.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, School of the Art Institute of Chicago scores 21/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $49,790 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,151 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 0.94 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.1% (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 $28,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.94. 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.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Common Questions
Is School of the Art Institute of Chicago worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. School of the Art Institute of Chicago scores 21/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $49,790 a year after aid against $40,151 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 $49,790 a year, or roughly $199,160 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,151 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $28,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.94. 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
The six-year graduation rate is 67.0%, 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.