Academy of Art University

Overview

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Academy of Art University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in San Francisco, California, Academy of Art University enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 38%.

Retention Rate

75%

Full-Time Faculty

16%

Faculty Salary (mo)

$8,554

Student–Faculty Ratio

15:1

Diversity Index

0.84

First-Gen Students

41%

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Academy of Art University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Academy of Art University is $30,736, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $40,613. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $37,668 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $31,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition

$30,736

Out-of-State

$30,736

Avg Net Price

$40,613

Median Debt

$31,000

Pell Grant Rate

41%

Federal Loan Rate

49%

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Academy of Art University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Graduate Outcomes

Is Academy of Art University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Academy of Art University report median earnings of $39,008, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry

$30,452

8 Years

$35,980

10 Years

$39,008

Debt-to-Earnings

0.79x

Earning > $25K

52%

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Academy of Art University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Academy of Art University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.64%, well above the typical college. About 9.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 17.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $92,300, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate

1.64%

Bottom 20% → Top 20%

Success Rate

17.5%

If bottom 20% get in

From Bottom 20%

9.4%

Share of students

Parent Median Income

$125,403

today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Innovation & Knowledge Creation

Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education

Academy of Art University produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 22 patents tied to its graduates.

Inventor Rate

0.68%

Top 34% nationally

Patents Produced

22

Linked to graduates

Patent Citations

32

Downstream influence

Inventors From Low-Income

0.91%

Bottom-20% families

Top Programs

The fields Academy of Art University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

• Visual & Performing Arts 36% $41,613 early-career
• Computer Science & IT 17% $57,547 early-career
• Communications 4% $42,932 early-career
• Business & Marketing 2% $53,056 early-career
• Education 0%

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.