Private Nonprofit Bachelor's Good 62/100

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

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

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin

About Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

Thinking about Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, a college in Wisconsin 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.

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It enrolls 837 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
60.5%
Graduation
55.6%
Net Price
$26,541
Median Earnings (10yr)
$41,174
Enrollment
837
Student : Faculty
11:1

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.

Good
62/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 68
Value 6
Affordability 43
Selectivity 74

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design admits 60.5% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
60.5%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 5.2 pts since 2019
68%201961.9%202068.3%202164%202262.8%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 $26,541 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
$26,541
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
37%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
78%
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
$43,743
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,955
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,955
Books & Supplies
$1,100
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,874
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,874
Total Cost of Attendance
$53,528

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
    $21,419
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $22,531
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $22,440
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $26,746
  • Over $110,000
    $32,540

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.

$4,750
10% percentile
$7,000
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$29,500
75% percentile
$37,250
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 $20,250 ↓ $6,750
No Pell $14,125 ↓ $12,875
Dependent students $15,750 ↓ $11,250
Independent students $18,125 ↓ $8,875
Female students $15,750 ↓ $11,250
Male students $15,125 ↓ $11,875
Pell recipients: 20.4% (5,516 students)No Pell: 14.2% (3,847 students)Dependent students: 15.9% (4,290 students)Independent students: 18.3% (4,937 students)Female students: 15.9% (4,290 students)Male students: 15.3% (4,120 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

56% of students who start here finish within six years, and 82% 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
56%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
82%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $41,174 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)
$41,174
Earning > $25K
67%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$28,000$32,000$36,000$39,000$43,0006 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
$34,300

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

Male graduates
$40,800

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$27,900

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

Family income (middle third)
$40,900

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

Family income (highest third)
$39,100

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $6,500, about 16% 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 ↑ 20.3 pts across 6 years
62%1yr67%3yr75.8%5yr82.4%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 82% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 837 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 30% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
837
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
30%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 63.9% 535
Hispanic 18.3% 153
Other 6.6% 55
Black 6.0% 50
Asian 4.7% 39
International 0.2% 2
White: 63.9% (535 students)Hispanic: 18.3% (153 students)Other: 6.6% (55 students)Black: 6.0% (50 students)Asian: 4.7% (39 students)International: 0.2% (2 students)Total837

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Housing
Mostly residential 450 beds on campus
Adult Learners
3% 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 Architecture graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design offers a focused set of programs: 4 distinct programs across 3 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.

2 Programs
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$19M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$59,046
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

57 instructional faculty across 4 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 18 32% $69,902
Associate Professors 16 28% $57,790
Assistant Professors 13 23% $49,114
Instructors 10 18% $49,804

Pros & Cons of Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design 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
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Most students take on federal loans
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for: Based on the data, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

The questions families ask most about Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design hard to get into?
Admissions at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 60.5%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design?
60.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design cost?
Budget around $26,541 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 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $41,174 a year against a net price of $26,541, about 1.6 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 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design known for?
Mostly Design, Fine Arts, Interior Architecture. 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 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design graduates earn?
About $41,174 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 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design accredited?
Yes. Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design?
837 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 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design?
56% 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 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design 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 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design located?
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
What programs does Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design offer?
4 different programs, most commonly Design, Fine Arts, Interior Architecture. 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 Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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