More selective than 83% of Minnesota colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $59,972. College Scorecard.
Higher than 28% of Minnesota colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 3% of Minnesota colleges we cover and 15% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
MCAD acceptance rate & admissions
Of 885 applicants, Minneapolis College of Art and Design admitted 428 and 169 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1130–1340 on the SAT or 21–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
MCAD 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 MCAD costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Minneapolis College of Art and 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 Minnesota. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $23,662 | $98,197 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $23,905 | $99,206 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $26,550 | $110,183 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $33,038 | $137,108 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $34,345 | $142,532 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (60% 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 ($40,873) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $2,689 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.
MCAD majors, earnings & careers
Minneapolis College of Art and Design offers 7 bachelor's majors across 4 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at MCAD
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic Communications | $43,745 | $27,000 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $39,467 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $32,667 | $30,250 |
Quick list of all 7 majors
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Film and Photography—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$39,467
- Graphic Communications$43,745
- Studio Art$32,667
- Woodworking—
— 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 Minneapolis
Overall prices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,734. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 33 inches of rain a year, 40 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, Hennepin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Hennepin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare MCAD with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Minnesota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | 48% | $29,926 | 51% | $40,873 | This school |
| Bethany Lutheran College | 39% | $20,148 | 55% | $46,110 | |
| Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science | 39% | — | — | $79,652 | |
| Northwestern Health Sciences University | — | $35,887 | 0% | $48,666 | |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | 63% | $24,902 | 61% | $59,317 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Minneapolis College of Art and Design would cost you $9,778 more per year than Bethany Lutheran College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$14,124).
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design gives aided families $9,181 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Minnesota resident | MCAD | Bethany Lutheran College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $45,484 | $31,360 | +$14,124 |
| Books & supplies | $3,640 | $800 | +$2,840 |
| Housing & meals | $10,910 | $8,270 | +$2,640 |
| Personal & travel | $2,000 | $2,000 | $0 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,062 | −$1,417 | −$645 |
| Sticker price | $59,972 | $41,013 | +$18,959 |
| Average grants | −$30,046 | −$20,865 | −$9,181 |
| You pay | $29,926 | $20,148 | +$9,778 |
“+” means MCAD 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 MCAD
What is the MCAD acceptance rate?
Minneapolis College of Art and Design accepts 48% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 428 of 885 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1130–1340 on the SAT or 21–29 on the ACT.
How much does Minneapolis College of Art and Design cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $59,972 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $29,926 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $23,662 and families earning $110k+ pay $34,345.
How much do MCAD graduates earn?
Former Minneapolis College of Art and Design students earn a median $40,873 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the MCAD graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 75% return for their second year.
How long does a MCAD degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Minneapolis College of Art and Design costs about $110,183 after grants ($26,550 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $40,873 ten years after starting, $2,689 more than high school graduates in Minnesota ($38,184), 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: “Minneapolis College of Art and Design: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/minneapolis-college-of-art-and-design (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).