10-yr median earnings
$71,958
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Pasadena, California
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private nonprofit institution in Pasadena, California. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $71,958
- 10-yr median earnings
- 74.5%
- Acceptance rate
- $48,661
- Avg net price / yr
- 80.8%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Art Center College of Design pairs top-10% former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 7%
- former-student earnings, US
- 74.5%
- acceptance rate
- 80.8%
- 150%-time completion
- +34%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize
Carnegie: Master's (S)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Art Center College of Design 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: Small 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
C
College Value Score
56/100
Art Center College of Design
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 A+
$71,958
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$48,661
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A
80.8%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$31,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B+
74.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention B+
85.9%
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
$48,661
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
80.8%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 80.8%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Art Center College of Design 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 Art Center College of Design 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.
Art Center College of Design: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$71,958 Top 7% higher than 93% 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 | Art Center College of Design | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $71,958 | #337 of 5103 | 93rd |
| Average net price | $48,661 | #4973 of 5020 | 1st (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 80.8% | #662 of 4858 | 86th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,017 | #1461 of 5462 | 73rd |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
2,017
Undergraduate enrollment
74.5%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
80.8%
150%-time completion
$71,958
10-yr median earnings
85.9%
First-year retention
How Art Center College of Design ranks in California
State rank among 493 reporting California colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Art Center College of Design | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $71,958 | #56 of 493 | 89th |
| Average net price | $48,661 | #481 of 495 | 3rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 80.8% | #95 of 483 | 80th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,017 | #177 of 553 | 68th |
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 |
| 56 | Art Center College of DesignThis school | $71,958 | $48,661 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 74.5% |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Art Center College of Design
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$39,645 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$42,161 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$44,738 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$61,144 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Art Center College of Design - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $54,170 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $54,170 |
| Average Net Price | $48,661 |
21.6%
Pell Grant Rate
33.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$31,000
Median Debt
$329/mo
Monthly Payment
2013–2023: what Art Center College of Design costs has stayed close to flat
Average net price moved +16.5% over 10 years, from $43,083 to $50,209 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $43,0832023 · $50,209
Over the same years, enrollment went +17.9% (1,742 → 2,054 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
55.2%
Female
24.3%
First Generation
Outcomes
85.9%
Retention Rate
$53,562
Median Earnings (6yr)
65.2%
Earning Over $25K
74.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 80.8% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 85.9% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $53,562 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $71,958 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 65.2% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 74.1% |
| 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 | 7 | 477 | $69,830 | $92,293 | $36,527 |
| Master's | 2 | 33 | $30,188 | $30,188 | - |
Top programs at Art Center College of Design by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Engineering-Related Fields
Engineering-Related Fields
$92,293 median earnings
- Mechanical Engineering Rel…
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
$90,188 median earnings
- Architectural Sciences and…
Architectural Sciences and Technology
$77,401 median earnings
- Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts
$76,093 median earnings
- Film/Video and Photographi…
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
$49,933 median earnings
- Fine and Studio Arts $33,073
Fine and Studio Arts
$33,073 median earnings
- Fine and Studio Arts $30,188
Fine and Studio Arts
$30,188 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.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering-Related Fields | Bachelor's | 70 | $92,293 | $35,636 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's | 34 | $90,188 | $50,250 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Bachelor's | 22 | $77,401 | - |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's | 228 | $76,093 | $31,000 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's | 47 | $49,933 | $28,750 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's | 14 | $33,073 | - |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Master's | 23 | $30,188 | - |
| Graphic Communications | Bachelor's | 62 | - | $37,000 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Master's | 10 | - | - |
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit 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 is the acceptance rate at Art Center College of Design? ▼
Art Center College of Design is a private nonprofit institution in Pasadena, California. The acceptance rate is 74.5%. Undergraduate enrollment is 2,017 students.
How much do Art Center College of Design former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Art Center College of Design who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $71,958 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $53,562.
How much does Art Center College of Design cost? ▼
The average net price at Art Center College of Design is $48,661. In-state tuition is $54,170 and out-of-state tuition is $54,170. Median student debt at graduation is $31,000.
What is the graduation rate at Art Center College of Design? ▼
Art Center College of Design has a 80.8% 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 85.9%.
Is Art Center College of Design worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Art Center College of Design is $31,000, while former students earn a median of $71,958 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 43% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 74.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $329.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. 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 Art Center College of Design
- Compare Art Center College of Design 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
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
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-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — 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.