Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

About Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Thinking about Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, a college in Pennsylvania 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.

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 400 students (a very small, intimate 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.

Official website: pcad.edu

Acceptance

99.2%

Graduation

39%

Net Price

$30,083

Median Earnings (10yr)

$33,301

Enrollment

400

Student : Faculty

9:1

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.

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design admits 99.2% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

5-Year Admission Trend

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

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 $30,083 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.

Full Cost Breakdown

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

Tuition & Fees

$32,150

Room & Board (on-campus)

$17,230

Room & Board (off-campus)

$17,230

Books & Supplies

$1,650

Other Expenses (on-campus)

$1,200

Other Expenses (off-campus)

$1,200

Total Cost of Attendance

$43,815

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
  $24,547
• $30,001 – $48,000
  $24,115
• $48,001 – $75,000
  $26,576
• $75,001 – $110,000
  $30,876
• Over $110,000
  $37,851

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.

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.

Graduation Rate & Retention

39% of students who start here finish within six years, and 84% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $33,301 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Earnings by Demographic

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

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.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 400 students, an intimate, close-knit community.

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

What You Can Study

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design offers a focused set of programs: 3 distinct programs across 1 major. 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.

Faculty & Resources

There are 9 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Faculty by Rank

15 instructional faculty across 2 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.

Pros & Cons of Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Pennsylvania College of Art and 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.