Private Nonprofit Graduate Fair 53/100

College for Creative Studies

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Detroit, Michigan

About College for Creative Studies

Thinking about College for Creative Studies, a college in Michigan where more students graduate in Visual & Performing Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

College for Creative Studies is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Detroit, Michigan. It enrolls 1,230 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
91.9%
Graduation
63.2%
Net Price
$34,617
Median Earnings (10yr)
$44,860
Enrollment
1,230
Student : Faculty
10:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Fair
53/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 69
Value 3
Affordability 26
Selectivity 16

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

College for Creative Studies admits 91.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
91.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether College for Creative Studies is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 49.0 pts since 2019
43.8%201955.4%202053.8%202149.2%202292.8%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $34,617 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$34,617
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
30%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
52%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$53,350
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,272
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,539
Books & Supplies
$2,144
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,381
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,381
Total Cost of Attendance
$66,014

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $30,267
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $33,152
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $33,647
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $33,667
  • Over $110,000
    $38,580

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$4,500
10% percentile
$8,750
25% percentile
$26,000
Median percentile
$29,750
75% percentile
$40,750
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $20,000 ↓ $6,000
No Pell $16,996 ↓ $9,004
Dependent students $19,500 ↓ $6,500
Independent students $14,250 ↓ $11,750
Female students $18,000 ↓ $8,000
Male students $20,000 ↓ $6,000
Pell recipients: 18.4% (4,782 students)No Pell: 15.6% (4,064 students)Dependent students: 17.9% (4,662 students)Independent students: 13.1% (3,407 students)Female students: 16.6% (4,304 students)Male students: 18.4% (4,782 students)Overall Median$26,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,000, less than completers ($26,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

63% of students who start here finish within six years, and 79% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
63%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $44,860 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$44,860
Earning > $25K
64%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$32,000$36,000$39,000$43,000$47,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$41,800

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$55,600

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$46,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$51,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$52,600

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $13,800, about 25% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 14.4 pts across 6 years
64.9%1yr68.5%3yr78.3%5yr79.3%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 79% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,230 students, a small, close-knit community.

Total Enrolled
1,230
Part-Time
11%
First-Generation
23%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 50.5% 621
Black 12.8% 157
International 7.5% 92
Other 6.3% 78
Hispanic 5.9% 72
Asian 5.1% 63
White: 50.5% (621 students)Black: 12.8% (157 students)International: 7.5% (92 students)Other: 6.3% (78 students)Hispanic: 5.9% (72 students)Asian: 5.1% (63 students)Total1,230

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at College for Creative Studies. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Detroit, Michigan
Housing
Mostly residential 626 beds on campus
Adult Learners
10% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Engineering Tech graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

College for Creative Studies offers a varied set of programs: 11 distinct programs across 5 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

5 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$224M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$96,152
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

54 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 10 19% $107,360
Associate Professors 22 41% $106,190
Assistant Professors 16 30% $85,652
Instructors 4 7% $72,000
Lecturers 2 4% $62,000

Pros & Cons of College for Creative Studies

No college is right for everyone. Here is where College for Creative Studies is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • High published cost of attendance before aid
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for: Based on the data, College for Creative Studies is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about College for Creative Studies

The questions families ask most about College for Creative Studies, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is College for Creative Studies hard to get into?
Not especially. College for Creative Studies admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 91.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at College for Creative Studies?
91.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does College for Creative Studies cost?
Budget around $34,617 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is College for Creative Studies worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $44,860 a year against a net price of $34,617, about 1.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is College for Creative Studies known for?
Mostly Design, Drafting/Design Engineering Tech, Graphic Communications. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do College for Creative Studies graduates earn?
About $44,860 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is College for Creative Studies accredited?
Yes. College for Creative Studies is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend College for Creative Studies?
1,230 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at College for Creative Studies?
63% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is College for Creative Studies a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is College for Creative Studies located?
College for Creative Studies is located in Detroit, Michigan.
What programs does College for Creative Studies offer?
11 different programs, most commonly Design, Drafting/Design Engineering Tech, Graphic Communications. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at College for Creative Studies?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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