10-yr median earnings
$39,008
Federal aid recipients only
Private For-Profit · San Francisco, California
Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution in San Francisco, California. as a private for-profit, published Scorecard outcomes are Title-IV-recipient medians — program mix and repayment risk deserve a closer look than a single headline number.
- 37.9%
- 150%-time completion
- $40,613
- Avg net price / yr
- $39,008
- 10-yr median earnings
The verdict
Academy of Art University posts modest former-student earnings.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- 44th pct.
- former-student earnings, US
- 37.9%
- 150%-time completion
- +28%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Academy of Art University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
F
College Value Score
25/100
Academy of Art University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings D
$39,008
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$40,613
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
37.9%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$31,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment D
55.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention D
75.4%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$40,613
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
37.9%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 37.9%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Academy of Art University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Academy of Art University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Academy of Art University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$39,008 44th percentile higher than 44% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Academy of Art University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $39,008 | #2857 of 5103 | 44th |
| Average net price | $40,613 | #4888 of 5020 | 3rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 37.9% | #3778 of 4858 | 22nd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,587 | #965 of 5462 | 82nd |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
3,587
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
37.9%
150%-time completion
$39,008
10-yr median earnings
75.4%
First-year retention
How Academy of Art University ranks in California
State rank among 493 reporting California colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Academy of Art University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $39,008 | #309 of 493 | 37th |
| Average net price | $40,613 | #460 of 495 | 7th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 37.9% | #392 of 483 | 19th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,587 | #145 of 553 | 74th |
Highest former-student earnings in California
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Merritt University | $143,238 | - |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd College | $138,687 | $35,924 |
| 3 | California Institute of Technology | $128,566 | $16,075 |
| 4 | Stanford University | $124,080 | $13,807 |
| 5 | Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health | $115,318 | - |
| 6 | Gnomon | $114,785 | $51,949 |
| 7 | Santa Clara University | $109,183 | $50,062 |
| 8 | Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University | $109,183 | - |
| 9 | Touro University California | $104,805 | - |
| 10 | Claremont McKenna College | $104,736 | $28,849 |
| 11 | West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County | $102,672 | $32,879 |
| 12 | West Coast University-Ontario | $102,672 | $49,590 |
| 309 | Academy of Art UniversityThis school | $39,008 | $40,613 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Academy of Art University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$37,668 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$36,340 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$43,874 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$44,082 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Academy of Art University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $30,736 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $30,736 |
| Average Net Price | $40,613 |
41.0%
Pell Grant Rate
49.5%
Federal Loan Rate
$31,000
Median Debt
$329/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at Academy of Art University rose +32.2% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $30,100 in 2013 to $39,778 in 2023, a rise of $9,678 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $30,1002023 · $39,778
Over the same years, enrollment went -59.9% (10,300 → 4,131 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
57.3%
Female
40.8%
First Generation
Outcomes
75.4%
Retention Rate
$30,452
Median Earnings (6yr)
52.0%
Earning Over $25K
55.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 37.9% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 75.4% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $30,452 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $39,008 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 52.0% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 55.6% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $329/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 14 | 657 | $49,488 | $73,398 | $32,134 |
| Master's | 11 | 700 | $62,702 | $87,998 | $91,697 |
| Associate's | 5 | 43 | $43,283 | $60,731 | $28,541 |
Top programs at Academy of Art University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer Software and Medi…
Computer Software and Media Applications
$87,998 median earnings
- Computer Software and Medi…
Computer Software and Media Applications
$73,398 median earnings
- Drafting/Design Engineerin…
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
$71,613 median earnings
- Drafting/Design Engineerin…
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
$66,783 median earnings
- Graphic Communications
Graphic Communications
$64,026 median earnings
- Specialized Sales, Merchan…
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
$62,856 median earnings
- Computer Software and Medi…
Computer Software and Media Applications
$60,731 median earnings
- Specialized Sales, Merchan…
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
$60,284 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Scorecard-derived matches among reporting colleges — not school marketing or paid placement lists.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private For-Profit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private For-Profit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the admissions statistics for Academy of Art University? ▼
Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution in San Francisco, California. Undergraduate enrollment is 3,587 students.
How much do Academy of Art University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Academy of Art University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $39,008 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $30,452.
How much does Academy of Art University cost? ▼
The average net price at Academy of Art University is $40,613. In-state tuition is $30,736 and out-of-state tuition is $30,736. Median student debt at graduation is $31,000.
What is the graduation rate at Academy of Art University? ▼
Academy of Art University has a 37.9% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 75.4%.
Is Academy of Art University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Academy of Art University is $31,000, while former students earn a median of $39,008 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 79% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 55.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $329.
Sources & methodology
Private for-profit profiles foreground Scorecard debt, repayment, and program-level earnings where reported. Marketing claims from the school are not inputs to this page.
Every figure is the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrieval. For-profit program mixes can shift year to year — treat institution medians as a starting map, then check Field-of-Study rows below. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Academy of Art University
- Compare Academy of Art University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in California side by side.Browse California
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
For-profit Scorecard figures are Title-IV cohort history — verify current program costs, accreditation, and repayment outcomes with the school and official aid tools.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private for-profit profiles compile Scorecard debt/earnings and IPEDS operating fields from federal files — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.