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EarningsPlus
Economic score
Art Center College of Design is a private regional university located in Pasadena, California. Art Center College of Design is very inclusive in their admissions.
Return on educational investment at Art Center College of Design is in the bottom 50% of all ranked schools. The median student earns $66,407 10 years after enrolling, 30th in California, and in the top 25% nationally. When adjusted for earning differences by major, Art Center College of Design bachelor students earn 29% more than the national average. Art Center College of Design is ranked 67th in California.
Art Center College of Design’s median net annual cost of $46,054 and average years to graduate of 5.1 are reported only at the school level. We assume these same costs and graduation time for all programs.
The top 6 programs at Art Center College of Design sorted by number of graduates - Design & Applied Arts, Engineering Fields, Mechanical Engr. Tech, Graphic Comms, Fine & Studio Arts, Architectural Science&Tech - are shown below.
Annual net cost
$46,054
Average years to graduate
5.1
EarningPlus compares the three-year post graduate earnings to the median earnings of the same graduating class, with the same graduate degree. These 2 metrics, debt-to-earnings and EarningsPlus, are combined into an economic score. The lower the economic score the better.
The most popular 1 graduate programs at Art Center College of Design - Fine & Studio Arts - are shown below.
The average full-time graduate completes their degree in 5.1 years. 72% of all students graduate within 8 years including part-time students. The graduation rate at Art Center College of Design is 5% higher than the state average, and 15% above the average for all regional universities in the country.
At Art Center College of Design, Pell Grant recipients represent 30% of the measured graduating class, 5% lower than the national average of 35%. The average Pell Grant recipient at Art Center College of Design graduates within 5.2 years.
Art Center College of Design is in the top 50% of schools for graduating Pell recipients.
We calculate this performance by adjusting the graduation rate of Pell students by their percentage of the student body. This adjustment is made to prevent schools with large numbers of Pell students from underperforming in comparison to schools with few Pell students but high graduation rates.
Art Center College of Design’s economic mobility score of 15.63 is calculated by adjusting the 3.55 economic score of lower-income students by the 30% pell grant recipients within the student body. Art Center College of Design’s EMS of 15.63 ranks in the top 50% nationally.false
Economic Mobility
To calculate economic mobility of low-income (household earnings below $30,000) students, we adjust each institution’s economic score by their percentage of Pell Grant students. The logic of this Pell-adjusted calculation is derived from Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index (EMI).
Top 50%
The average Title IV recipient at Art Center College of Design pays $46,054 a year, $4,432 less than the $50,486 advertised. See below the cost breakdown for students who receive Title IV grants, broken down by income level.
Average net price
The average net price shown by income level for all students that receive Title IV aid. Calculated by deducting the average grant and scholarship aid from tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Limited to first-time, full-time students. Public institution figures are calculated using in-state tuition figures.
Median net price $46,054
Much of the gap between net price and sticker price is filled by institutional and government grants. At Art Center College of Design, 64% of students receive some grants and scholarships, compared to the national average of 87% for all colleges and universities. The average amount of federal, state, and institutional grants that students receive is shown on the right.
This leaves a total of $46,054 on average to be covered by the student – be it through loans or out of pocket. In total, 39% of students take out loans, federal or private, at an average amount of $7,086. This is 15% less than the national average.
Federal grants
$5,367
Pell grants
$4,597
State grants
$8,859
Institutional grants
$13,942
Art Center College of Design's very inclusive admissions are indicated by their 76% acceptance rate. In 2021, the school had 982 applicants, of which 742 were admitted and 269 enrolled. Art Center College of Design doesn't have a rolling admissions policy, which means applications are reviewed after a hard admissions deadline.
Art Center College of Design does not consider standardized testing in their admissions process.
Full time
99%
83%
Female
55%
59%
First time
34%
59%
In-state
45%
68%
1st generation
24%
35%
White
12%
52%
Black
1%
14%
Hispanic
9%
15%
Asian
33%
5%
American Indian
N/A
1.6%
Pacific Islander
N/A
0.3%
Other
43%
12%