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School of Visual Arts

Private for-profit New York, NY · Urban · Mid-Atlantic · 100% data
A- Social Mobility B+ Diversity B Graduation
Graduation Rate
75% B
Solid completion rate — most students graduate
Earnings (10yr)
$46,459 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$57,914 F
238% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
93% D
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +14% vs avg
Graduation +32% vs avg
Net Price 238% vs avg
Mobility Top 15%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 6.9× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $6.9 over 20 years.

6.9× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $6.9 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,376,758.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. A 75% graduation rate — 32% above the national average.

  3. Social mobility rate of 2.66% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $6.9 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why School of Visual Arts Matters

School of Visual Arts is a private for-profit university in New York, NY and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private for-profit University
Carnegie Class
Master's University
Enrollment
3,244
Setting
Urban
Primary Strengths
Visual & Performing Arts, Computer Science & IT, Communications

Why students choose School of Visual Arts

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Engine of upward mobility
A strong record of moving students up the income ladder
Strength in Visual & Performing Arts
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 53% overall
C+
Earnings
$46,459 median
F
Value
0.8× net price
F
Affordability
$57,914/yr net
B
Graduation
75% graduate
A-
Social Mobility
2.7% climb Q1→Q5
D
Selectivity
93% admit rate
B+
Diversity
0.71 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With an acceptance rate of 93%, the School of Visual Arts welcomes a diverse group of students, particularly those passionate about creativity and the arts. Here, you'll find programs in Visual & Performing Arts, Computer Science & IT, and Communications, allowing students to explore various mediums and technologies. This school is a good fit for individuals who thrive in an artistic environment and are looking to hone their skills in a vibrant city like New York.

After graduation, students can expect to earn an average of $46,459 within ten years. That's a solid figure, especially considering the competitive job market in creative fields. Affordability is a significant factor for many, and while the school’s net price is $57,914, the potential earnings can help offset that investment. It’s important to note that for those receiving Pell Grants, which make up 16% of students, there may be additional financial support to consider.

Looking at the financial aspects, the median debt stands at $27,000, which is something to weigh carefully against future earnings. Students who tend to thrive here are often those who are not only passionate about their craft but also willing to navigate the challenges of funding their education. The School of Visual Arts can be a launching pad for a creative career, especially for those who embrace the opportunities and challenges that come with pursuing their passions in a bustling urban setting.

Can I Get In?

How selective School of Visual Arts is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into School of Visual Arts? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in New York, New York, School of Visual Arts admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 93%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,320. The graduation rate is roughly 75%.

Acceptance Rate
93%
Retention Rate
85%
SAT Average
1320
ACT Midpoint
26
SAT Range
1188–1490
Full-Time Faculty
15%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$4,435
Student–Faculty Ratio
8:1
Diversity Index
0.71
First-Gen Students
26%
Applicants
3,462
Admitted
3,026

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend School of Visual Arts? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at School of Visual Arts is $51,400, 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 $57,914. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $50,966 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $27,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$51,400
Out-of-State
$51,400
Avg Net Price
$57,914
Median Debt
$27,000
Pell Grant Rate
16%
Federal Loan Rate
26%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$50,966
Family Income $30K–$48K
$51,122
Family Income $48K–$75K
$62,189
Family Income $110K+
$62,858

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

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

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is School of Visual Arts Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of School of Visual Arts earn a median of $46,459, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$31,855
8 Years
$41,013
10 Years
$46,459
Debt-to-Earnings
0.58x
Earning > $25K
57%

Earnings Trajectory

$31,855 6yr $41,013 8yr $46,459 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (418)
61%
100% (418)
61%
100% (418)
61%
100% (418)
61%

How School Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation75%Earnings 10yr$46KNet Price$58KRetention85%Median Debt$27KPell Grant Rate16%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$51K$0-30K$51K$30-48K$62K$48-75K$63K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%8.3%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%31.9%MOBILITY2.66%

College ROI Calculator

Is School of Visual Arts Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, School of Visual Arts delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $57,914/year ($231,656 total). Graduates earn $46,459 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,608,414 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,376,758 (6.9× your investment). The median debt is $27,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 75% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$231,656
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,608,414
Net Return
$1,376,758
ROI Multiple
6.9×
Cost Per Year
$57,914
Median Debt
$27,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
75%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

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

Does School of Visual Arts Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

School of Visual Arts 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 2.66%, among the highest in the country. About 8.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 31.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $95,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
2.66%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
31.9%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
8.3%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$129,343
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is School of Visual Arts? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at School of Visual Arts. Its economic connectedness score is 1.87, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.87
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
6.6%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Top Programs

The fields School of Visual Arts 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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into School of Visual Arts? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in New York, New York, School of Visual Arts admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 93%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,320. The graduation rate is roughly 75%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend School of Visual Arts? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at School of Visual Arts is $51,400, 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 $57,914. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $50,966 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $27,000 in federal student loans.

Is School of Visual Arts Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of School of Visual Arts earn a median of $46,459, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does School of Visual Arts Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

School of Visual Arts 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 2.66%, among the highest in the country. About 8.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 31.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $95,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is School of Visual Arts? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at School of Visual Arts. Its economic connectedness score is 1.87, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys