# Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD)

Private nonprofit college in Minneapolis, MN. IPEDS ID 174127.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/minneapolis-college-of-art-and-design · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/minneapolis-college-of-art-and-design.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 49% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $29,926 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 51%; beats 28% of MN colleges and 44% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $40,873; beats 3% of MN colleges and 15% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $19,225

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $23,662 |
| 30-48k | $23,905 |
| 48-75k | $26,550 |
| 75-110k | $33,038 |
| 110k+ | $34,345 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.15 years on average (60% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $40,873 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $59,972
- Tuition and fees: $45,484
- Housing and meals: $10,910; books: $3,640

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 600–710; SAT math: 530–630; ACT: 21–29 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 885 applicants, 428 admitted, 169 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 49%, ACT 21–29 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 48%, ACT 20–24 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (7 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Communications | $24,427 | $43,745 | $27,000 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $23,687 | $39,467 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $14,829 | $32,667 | $30,250 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Woodworking | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | $26,156 | not reported | $27,000 |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer: median wage $65,610 (Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI), $63,860 (MN), $62,960 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).