College ROI Report
Updated 2024
Best-value Art Colleges
With Payscale’s College ROI Report for Art Schools, students and their parents can quickly and easily identify the arts schools and colleges that provide the highest return on investment.
| Rank | School Name | 20 Year Net ROI | Total 4 Year Cost | Graduation Rate | Typical Years to Graduate | Average Loan Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:11 | School Name: | 20 Year Net ROI:$282,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$95,500 | Graduation Rate:82% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$34,700 |
| Rank:12 | School Name: SUNY at Purchase College (Out-of-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$260,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$152,000 | Graduation Rate:67% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$26,500 |
| Rank:13 | School Name: Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Out-of-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$248,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$231,000 | Graduation Rate:66% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$40,200 |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Cleveland Institute of Art (Private) | 20 Year Net ROI:$217,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$247,000 | Graduation Rate:73% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$41,600 |
| Rank:15 | School Name:University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Out-of-State) | 20 Year Net ROI:$215,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$163,000 | Graduation Rate:82% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$34,700 |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Emerson College (Private) | 20 Year Net ROI:$209,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$300,000 | Graduation Rate:77% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$50,200 |
| Rank:17 | School Name:Cornish College of the Arts (Private) | 20 Year Net ROI:$183,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$212,000 | Graduation Rate:53% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$25,300 |
| Rank:18 | School Name: Marymount Manhattan College (Private) | 20 Year Net ROI:$183,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$256,000 | Graduation Rate:57% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$30,300 |
| Rank:19 | School Name: Columbia College-Chicago (Private) | 20 Year Net ROI:$143,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$199,000 | Graduation Rate:47% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$29,200 |
| Rank:20 | School Name: Maryland Institute College of Art (Private) | 20 Year Net ROI:$134,000 | Total 4 Year Cost:$276,000 | Graduation Rate:77% | Typical Years to Graduate:4 | Average Loan Amount:$39,900 |
Students with creative talent seek out art schools in order to pursue careers in a wide range of fields, including fashion design, graphic design and photography. Numerous art and design schools are located across the nation, but some deliver better value than others. If you have your heart set on attending a school that focuses on art, design or music, consider availing yourself of Payscale’s data to zero in on the best value art schools before you apply.
Consistently ranked among the top art schools in the United States, the Rhode Island School of Design, or RISD, earns a well-deserved slot on our art schools return on investment list. The Providence-based school was founded in 1877 and is located on a 13-acre campus that’s contiguous with the campus of Brown University, a top Ivy League school. RISD offers 17 undergraduate majors and 17 graduate majors in many fields, including ceramics, architecture, graphic design and illustration, photography and sculpture. The school counts among its famous alumni Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, fashion designer Nicole Miller and actor/director James Franco.
Rounding out our list of best value art and design schools is the Pratt Institute, which is located in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of Clinton Hill. With five schools offering programs in architecture, industrial design, interior design and many other fields, the private university has long attracted some of the most talented creative types in the nation. Many prominent alumni have come out of the prestigious private school, with fashion designer Betsey Johnson being a particular standout.
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