School of Visual Arts
New York, New York · Private For-Profit · 92.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 30/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
School of Visual Arts (SVA) receives a CampusROI score of 30 (Below Benchmark tier) under our methodology, alongside a 75.7% completion rate. Published tuition is $51,400 and the average net price is $57,914 per year, or $231,656 over four years of attendance (a cost figure, not a debt figure). Median debt at graduation is $27,000 against average earnings of $34,800 six years after entry, a 0.776 debt-to-earnings ratio, and median earnings reach $46,459 ten years after entry. Our model estimates a 32.4-year payback period. SVA's reputation in art and design and its New York location are real assets that these medians do not capture, and outcomes vary widely by program and by student.
How School of Visual Arts 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 Score30/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period32.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
School of Visual Arts
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $51,400/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $51,400/yr |
| Average net price | $57,914/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $231,656 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,459 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 32.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 75.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,244 |
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: $51,400/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 $57,914/year, or roughly $231,656 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 $50,966/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $62,858/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 ($34,800) and comes to 0.78, 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 | $50,966 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $51,122 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $62,189 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $64,863 |
| $110,001+ | $62,858 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 report an average net price of $50,966 per year, about $203,900 over four years, against median ten-year earnings of $46,459. Institutional and outside aid can change this figure significantly for individual students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Families earning $48,001-$75,000 report an average net price of $62,189 per year and families earning $75,001-$110,000 report $64,863, about $248,800 to $259,500 over four years. The $75,001-$110,000 average is slightly above the over-$110,000 average, which can reflect small samples or how aid is distributed.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 report an average net price of $62,858 per year, about $251,400 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at School of Visual Arts with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Software and Media Applications | $67,483 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $33,288 | F |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $41,271 | F |
| Graphic Communications | $30,125 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $34,286 | 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.
Computer Software and Media Applications
Computer Software and Media Applications is SVA's largest program, with 333 graduates and a D grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $36,272 in the first year to $67,483 by year four, the largest dollar increase among SVA's reported programs, against median debt of $27,000.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts has 250 graduates and an F grade under our methodology. Median first-year earnings are $15,985, rising to $33,288 by year four, against median debt of $27,000.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video and Photographic Arts has 152 graduates and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $20,312 in the first year to $41,271 by year four, against median debt of $27,000.
Graphic Communications
Graphic Communications has 76 graduates and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $22,478 in the first year to $30,125 by year four, against median debt of $27,000.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts has 65 graduates and an F grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $21,344 in the first year to $34,286 by year four, against median debt of $27,000.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 70.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 76.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 76.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How School of Visual Arts’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 | 92.6% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 578-760 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 610-730 |
| Enrollment | 3,244 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 15.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,435 |
SVA admits 92.6% of applicants. SAT middle-50% ranges are 578-760 math and 610-730 reading; ACT data is not reported. The 75.7% completion rate means about three in four first-time, full-time students graduate within six years.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| School of Visual Arts (this school) | 30 | $57,914 | $46,459 |
| College for Creative Studies | 30 | $34,617 | $44,860 |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | 29 | $42,729 | $45,212 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | 29 | $24,100 | $43,582 |
| California College of the Arts | 27 | $53,909 | $49,414 |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | 27 | $57,742 | $43,325 |
Who Thrives Here
With 3,244 students and a 15.6% Pell Grant rate, SVA serves a national art-and-design student body in Manhattan. It fits students committed to art and design careers who have weighed the cost against expected earnings in their intended field. Median debt at graduation ($27,000) is below average earnings six years after entry ($34,800). Students relying heavily on loans should compare the net price for their income bracket using SVA's net price calculator.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, School of Visual Arts scores 30/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $57,914 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,459 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 32.4 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 75.7% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. 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 Visual Arts: Common Questions
Is School of Visual Arts worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. School of Visual Arts scores 30/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $57,914 a year after aid against $46,459 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 32.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does School of Visual Arts 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 $57,914 a year, or roughly $231,656 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 Visual Arts graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,459 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,659 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off School of Visual Arts?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 32.4 years for School of Visual Arts. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do School of Visual Arts graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $34,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. 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 Visual Arts?
The six-year graduation rate is 75.7%, 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.