School of Visual Arts is a private for-profit institution offering graduate degrees based in New York, New York. It enrolls 3,244 students (a mid-sized 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.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
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
56/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes83
Value1
Affordability5
Selectivity45
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
School of Visual Arts admits 92.6% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
92.6%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1188 – 1490
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized 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 School of Visual Arts is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
20.2 pts
since 2019
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 $57,914 a year on average, it sits above what private for-profit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$51,400
Room & Board (on-campus)
$25,400
Room & Board (off-campus)
$25,400
Books & Supplies
$1,868
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$6,200
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,200
Total Cost of Attendance
$78,051
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
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
$50,966
$30,001 – $48,000
$51,122
$48,001 – $75,000
$62,189
$75,001 – $110,000
$64,863
Over $110,000
$62,858
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.
$5,50010%percentile
$12,00025%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$28,50075%percentile
$34,50090%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 $25,250
↓ $1,750
No Pell $19,500
↓ $7,500
Dependent students $21,500
↓ $5,500
Independent students $30,250
↑ $3,250
Female students $21,706
↓ $5,294
Male students $22,125
↓ $4,875
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
67% of students who start here finish within six years, and 87% 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
67%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
87%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $46,459 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)
$46,459
Earning > $25K
68%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$43,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$52,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$47,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$47,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$48,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,500, 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 ↑
12.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 83% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,244 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
3,244
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
26%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
International 48.7%1,581
White 14.9%483
Asian 14.0%455
Hispanic 11.6%376
Black 3.1%99
Other 1.4%46
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at School of Visual Arts. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
School of Visual Arts offers
a varied set of programs:
16 distinct programs across
7 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.
There are 8 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$35,444
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
156 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors
156
100%
$35,444
Pros & Cons of School of Visual Arts
No college is right for everyone. Here is where School of Visual Arts is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
For-profit institution, verify accreditation and outcomes carefully
Best for:
Based on the data, School of Visual Arts is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about School of Visual Arts
The questions families ask most about School of Visual Arts, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is School of Visual Arts hard to get into?
Not especially. School of Visual Arts admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 92.6%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at School of Visual Arts?
92.6% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for School of Visual Arts?
Aim for 1490 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1188 and 1490 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does School of Visual Arts cost?
Budget around $57,914 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 School of Visual Arts worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $46,459 a year against a net price of $57,914, about 0.8 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 School of Visual Arts known for?
Mostly Computer Software & Media, Design, Film & Video Production. 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 School of Visual Arts graduates earn?
About $46,459 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 School of Visual Arts accredited?
Yes. School of Visual Arts is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend School of Visual Arts?
3,244 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at School of Visual Arts?
67% 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 School of Visual Arts a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is School of Visual Arts located?
School of Visual Arts is located in New York, New York.
What programs does School of Visual Arts offer?
16 different programs, most commonly Computer Software & Media, Design, Film & Video Production. 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 School of Visual Arts?
8 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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