More selective than 46% of Maryland colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $76,860. College Scorecard.
Higher than 81% of Maryland colleges we cover and 82% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 0% of Maryland colleges we cover and 26% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
MICA acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,127 applicants, Maryland Institute College of Art admitted 2,417 and 277 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1078–1305 on the SAT or 25–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
MICA tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What MICA costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Maryland Institute College of Art took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Maryland. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $32,389 | $139,920 | 16.5 years |
| $30–48k | $35,223 | $152,163 | 17.9 years |
| $48–75k | $45,071 | $194,707 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $45,906 | $198,314 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $50,918 | $219,966 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (52% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($45,212) minus $36,731 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,481 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
MICA majors, earnings & careers
Maryland Institute College of Art offers 10 bachelor's majors across 4 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 6
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at MICA
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $45,436 | $27,000 |
| Film and Photography | $43,227 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $34,283 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 10 majors
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Crafts / Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Environmental Design—
- Film and Photography$43,227
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$45,436
- Graphic Communications—
- Studio Art$34,283
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Baltimore
Overall prices in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,006. Housing costs 18% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 19 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Baltimore City
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Baltimore City at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare MICA with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Maryland by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Institute College of Art | 77% | $42,729 | 72% | $45,212 | This school |
| McDaniel College | 78% | $21,916 | 63% | $60,663 | |
| Hood College | 78% | $20,873 | 57% | $57,089 | |
| Mount St. Mary's University | 74% | $22,655 | 65% | $64,072 | |
| Goucher College | 78% | $22,470 | 57% | $53,023 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Maryland Institute College of Art would cost you $20,813 more per year than McDaniel College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Maryland Institute College of Art, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$7,330).
- McDaniel College gives aided families $9,247 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maryland resident | MICA | McDaniel College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $56,800 | $52,081 | +$4,719 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $1,450 | +$50 |
| Housing & meals | $19,924 | $12,594 | +$7,330 |
| Personal & travel | $1,650 | $2,454 | −$804 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,014 | −$3,285 | +$271 |
| Sticker price | $76,860 | $65,294 | +$11,566 |
| Average grants | −$34,131 | −$43,378 | +$9,247 |
| You pay | $42,729 | $21,916 | +$20,813 |
“+” means MICA costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about MICA
What is the MICA acceptance rate?
Maryland Institute College of Art accepts 77% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,417 of 3,127 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1078–1305 on the SAT or 25–33 on the ACT.
How much does Maryland Institute College of Art cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $76,860 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $42,729 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $32,389 and families earning $110k+ pay $50,918.
How much do MICA graduates earn?
Former Maryland Institute College of Art students earn a median $45,212 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the MICA graduation rate?
72% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 83% return for their second year.
How long does a MICA degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Maryland Institute College of Art costs about $194,707 after grants ($45,071 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $45,212 ten years after starting, $8,481 more than high school graduates in Maryland ($36,731), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Maryland Institute College of Art: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/maryland-institute-college-of-art (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).