Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Lancaster, Pennsylvania · Website
$33,301
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$33,301
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with 400 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $30,083 a year (tuition and fees $32,150). It admits 99% of applicants and 69% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $33,301 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $27,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$30,083
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$32,150
US median $11,837
Admission rate
99%
US median 78%
Completion rate
69%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$27,000
About $286 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$33,301
Rank 3,661 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
- $30,083
- Tuition and fees
- $32,150
- Cost of attendance
- $43,815
- Students with a need-based grant
- 47%
- Students with federal loans
- 69%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $24,547
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $24,115
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $26,576
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $30,876
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $37,851
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 $22,800 in 2015-16 to $32,150 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
- 99%
- Undergraduates
- 400
- Part-time students
- 4.3%
- Women
- 69%
- Students per teacher
- 10
- Completion rate
- 69%
- Retention rate
- 85%
- Highest degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Programs
- 4
- Endowment
- $3.39M
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 3,661 of 5,094 US colleges and 218 of 270 in Pennsylvania (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | PA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $30,083 | $19,970 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $32,150 | $19,182 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 99% | 81% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 69% | 66% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 85% | 78% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $27,000 | $17,500 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $23,638 | $42,275 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $33,301 | $49,700 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 52% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 40% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
4 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | $27,000 | $25,830 | $38,275 | $51,490 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,367 |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $43,765 |
| Design and Applied ArtsCertificate | Certificate | 0 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Lancaster and Pennsylvania on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Pennsylvania
- Homes: Homes for sale in Pennsylvania
Questions and answers
How much does Pennsylvania College of Art and Design cost?
$30,083 a year is the average net price at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $32,150, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $43,815. Families earning under $30,000 pay $24,547 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?
99% of applicants are admitted to Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. The median admission rate of colleges in Pennsylvania is 81%.
How much do Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates earn?
$33,301 a year is the median pay of former Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students who work, 10 years after they started ($23,638 after 6 years). That ranks 3,661 of 5,094 US colleges and 218 of 270 in Pennsylvania. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's) at $25,830.
How much student debt do Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates have?
$27,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates, about $286 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 69% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?
69% of first-time, full-time students at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design finish within 6 years. 85% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?
Design and Applied Arts (36 bachelor's graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (8 bachelor's graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (7 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 4 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.