Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California · Website
$39,008
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$39,008
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Academy of Art University is a for-profit 4-year college in San Francisco, California with 3,587 undergraduates and 1,854 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $40,613 a year (tuition and fees $30,736). 34% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $39,008 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $31,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$40,613
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$30,736
US median $11,837
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
34%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$31,000
About $329 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$39,008
Rank 2,857 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $40,613
- Tuition and fees
- $30,736
- Cost of attendance
- $48,036
- Students with a need-based grant
- 41%
- Students with federal loans
- 49%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $37,668
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $36,340
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $43,874
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $43,953
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $44,082
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $20,340 in 2015-16 to $30,736 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 3,587
- Graduate students
- 1,854
- Part-time students
- 47%
- Women
- 56%
- Students per teacher
- 14
- Completion rate
- 34%
- Retention rate
- 75%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 63
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,857 of 5,094 US colleges and 310 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $40,613 | $20,161 | $28,553 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $30,736 | $8,086 | $17,408 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 91% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 34% | 64% | 50% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 75% | 80% | 67% | 75% |
| Median debt | $31,000 | $11,537 | $20,899 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $30,452 | $36,048 | $36,954 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $39,008 | $41,472 | $40,092 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US for-profit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 36% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 51% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
63 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 182 | $71,352 | $55,139 | $87,998 | $120,083 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 112 | $36,750 | $45,387 | $73,398 | $58,894 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansOnlineMaster's | Master's | 97 | $84,794 | $44,643 | $71,613 | $72,860 |
| Graphic CommunicationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 74 | $31,125 | $27,481 | $50,833 | $43,283 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 73 | $40,171 | $48,978 | $66,783 | $71,753 |
| Graphic CommunicationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 69 | $83,224 | Withheld | $64,026 | $57,810 |
| Design and Applied ArtsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 63 | $31,500 | $20,829 | $38,583 | $51,490 |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 56 | $33,812 | $23,354 | $46,726 | $43,765 |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 52 | $113,213 | $41,911 | $58,879 | $51,486 |
| Design and Applied ArtsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 51 | $93,267 | $38,358 | $57,636 | $70,073 |
| Apparel and TextilesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 49 | $25,500 | $27,630 | $41,565 | $57,640 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 47 | $91,156 | $50,953 | $46,730 | $49,079 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | $51,874 | $59,460 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | $31,000 | $28,494 | $43,084 | $41,688 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | $39,570 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,367 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | $23,473 | $25,425 | $54,087 | $50,497 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | $31,211 | $30,273 | $60,731 | $41,737 |
| Design and Applied ArtsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | $31,937 | $26,478 | $40,595 | $38,127 |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | $32,187 | $30,178 | $42,221 | $33,186 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftMaster's | Master's | 14 | $104,875 | $36,635 | Withheld | $49,978 |
| MusicOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $29,910 | Withheld | $33,151 | $42,892 |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 14 | Withheld | $37,909 | $62,856 | $120,246 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansOnlineMaster's | Master's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $64,808 |
| MusicOnlineMaster's | Master's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,285 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationOnlineMaster's | Master's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $75,972 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of San Francisco and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Academy of Art University cost?
$40,613 a year is the average net price at Academy of Art University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $30,736, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $48,036. Families earning under $30,000 pay $37,668 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Academy of Art University?
Academy of Art University has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Academy of Art University graduates earn?
$39,008 a year is the median pay of former Academy of Art University students who work, 10 years after they started ($30,452 after 6 years). That ranks 2,857 of 5,094 US colleges and 310 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's) at $55,139.
How much student debt do Academy of Art University graduates have?
$31,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Academy of Art University graduates, about $329 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 49% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Academy of Art University?
34% of first-time, full-time students at Academy of Art University finish within 6 years. 75% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of for-profit 4-year colleges is 50%.
What are the most popular majors at Academy of Art University?
Computer Software and Media Applications (182 master's graduates), Computer Software and Media Applications (112 bachelor's graduates), Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (97 master's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 63 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.