More selective than 94% of Wisconsin colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $53,528. College Scorecard.
Higher than 71% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 73% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 15% of Wisconsin colleges we cover and 15% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
MIAD acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,059 applicants, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design admitted 665 and 200 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
MIAD 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 MIAD costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design took 4.2 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 Wisconsin. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $21,419 | $89,746 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $22,531 | $94,405 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $22,440 | $94,024 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $26,746 | $112,066 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $32,540 | $136,343 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (53% 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 ($41,174) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $3,610 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.
MIAD majors, earnings & careers
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design offers 7 bachelor's majors across 5 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Humanities & Languages · 1
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 1
Highest-earning majors at MIAD
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $50,109 | — |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $43,944 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $40,952 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 7 majors
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Film and Photography—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$43,944
- Graphic Communications—
- Interior Architecture—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$50,109
- Studio Art$40,952
— 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
Living in Milwaukee
Overall prices in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,263. Housing costs 3% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 35 inches of rain a year, 52 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Milwaukee County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Milwaukee County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare MIAD with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Wisconsin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design | 61% | $26,541 | 67% | $41,174 | This school |
| Beloit College | 63% | $21,526 | 71% | $53,260 | |
| Lawrence University | 64% | $23,401 | 77% | $55,789 | |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | 59% | $22,453 | 67% | $89,070 | |
| Maranatha Baptist University | 72% | $26,005 | 64% | $45,593 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design would cost you $5,015 more per year than Beloit College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$17,143).
- Beloit College gives aided families $22,852 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Wisconsin resident | MIAD | Beloit College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $43,743 | $60,886 | −$17,143 |
| Books & supplies | $1,060 | $1,134 | −$74 |
| Housing & meals | $10,430 | $10,740 | −$310 |
| Personal & travel | $1,844 | $1,531 | +$313 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,549 | −$2,926 | −$623 |
| Sticker price | $53,528 | $71,365 | −$17,837 |
| Average grants | −$26,987 | −$49,839 | +$22,852 |
| You pay | $26,541 | $21,526 | +$5,015 |
“+” means MIAD 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 MIAD
What is the MIAD acceptance rate?
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design accepts 61% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 665 of 1,059 applicants were admitted.
How much does Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $53,528 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $26,541 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,419 and families earning $110k+ pay $32,540.
How much do MIAD graduates earn?
Former Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design students earn a median $41,174 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the MIAD graduation rate?
67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 80% return for their second year.
How long does a MIAD degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design costs about $94,024 after grants ($22,440 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $41,174 ten years after starting, $3,610 more than high school graduates in Wisconsin ($37,564), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is MIAD the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing MIAD with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/milwaukee-institute-of-art-and-design (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).