# Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Private nonprofit college in Lancaster, PA. IPEDS ID 215053.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-college-of-art-and-design · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/pennsylvania-college-of-art-and-design.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 99% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $30,083 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 69%; beats 67% of PA colleges and 76% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $33,301; beats 0% of PA colleges and 4% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $23,980

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $24,547 |
| 30-48k | $24,115 |
| 48-75k | $26,576 |
| 75-110k | $30,876 |
| 110k+ | $37,851 |

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 years on average (64% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $33,301 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $24,547 | $98,188 | no earnings gain |
| 30-48k | $24,115 | $96,460 | no earnings gain |
| 48-75k | $26,576 | $106,304 | no earnings gain |
| 75-110k | $30,876 | $123,504 | no earnings gain |
| 110k+ | $37,851 | $151,404 | no earnings gain |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $43,815
- Tuition and fees: $32,150
- Housing and meals: $12,535; books: $1,650

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 677 applicants, 311 admitted, 95 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 99%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 46%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (3 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $25,830 | $38,275 | $27,000 |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer: median wage $55,360 (Lancaster, PA), $60,730 (PA), $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).