More selective than 42% of Illinois colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $75,625. College Scorecard.
Higher than 73% of Illinois colleges we cover and 73% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 2% of Illinois colleges we cover and 13% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
School of the Art Institute of Chicago acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,633 applicants, School of the Art Institute of Chicago admitted 5,069 and 676 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of School of the Art Institute of Chicago took 4.5 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 Illinois. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $43,798 | $196,215 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $39,845 | $178,506 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $46,708 | $209,252 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $49,595 | $222,186 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $55,790 | $249,939 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (39% 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 ($40,151) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $4,354 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.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago majors, earnings & careers
School of the Art Institute of Chicago offers 4 bachelor's majors across 3 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 2
- Engineering · 1
- Humanities & Languages · 1
Highest-earning majors at School of the Art Institute of Chicago
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Art | $45,602 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 4 majors
- Interior Architecture—
- Studio Art$45,602
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— 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 →Living in Chicago
Overall prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,011. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (very high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cook County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cook County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare School of the Art Institute of Chicago with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Illinois 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 77% | $49,790 | 67% | $40,151 | This school |
| North Central College | 77% | $21,044 | 64% | $60,123 | |
| Elmhurst University | 74% | $24,185 | 70% | $61,462 | |
| Bradley University | 77% | $22,719 | 76% | $66,852 | |
| Lewis University | 71% | $17,028 | 67% | $66,099 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
School of the Art Institute of Chicago would cost you $28,746 more per year than North Central College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$10,694).
- North Central College gives aided families $10,340 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | NCC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $56,420 | $45,726 | +$10,694 |
| Books & supplies | $2,380 | $1,200 | +$1,180 |
| Housing & meals | $16,100 | $12,434 | +$3,666 |
| Personal & travel | $4,180 | $1,934 | +$2,246 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,455 | −$4,075 | +$620 |
| Sticker price | $75,625 | $57,219 | +$18,406 |
| Average grants | −$25,835 | −$36,175 | +$10,340 |
| You pay | $49,790 | $21,044 | +$28,746 |
“+” means School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago
What is the School of the Art Institute of Chicago acceptance rate?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago accepts 77% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,069 of 6,633 applicants were admitted.
How much does School of the Art Institute of Chicago cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $75,625 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $49,790 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $43,798 and families earning $110k+ pay $55,790.
How much do School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduates earn?
Former School of the Art Institute of Chicago students earn a median $40,151 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduation rate?
67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a School of the Art Institute of Chicago degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at School of the Art Institute of Chicago costs about $209,252 after grants ($46,708 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $40,151 ten years after starting, $4,354 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is School of the Art Institute of Chicago the right fit for your family?
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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: “School of the Art Institute of Chicago: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/school-of-the-art-institute-of-chicago (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).