College ROI

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Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 3,587 Undergrads 24.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$51,328
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$41,747
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,913
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$41,747
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$52,913
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,567
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate24.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age25.7
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients44.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time53.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS51.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$471k
+$1k
-$15k
Median Cost$42k/yr
+$321k
-$149k
-$165k
Full Cost$51k/yr
+$287k
-$183k
-$200k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$42k/yr
Never
-110%
Full Cost$51k/yr
Never
-108%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-104%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-89%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Associate's Degrees

Apparel and Textiles
AssocCIP: 1909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$29,584
Natl Median: $45,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$235k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,731
Natl Median: $41,737
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
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Median Debt
$33,500
Earnings (4yr)
$40,595
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,221
Natl Median: $33,186
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
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Fine and Studio Arts
AssocCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,650
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,019
Natl Median: $36,221
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
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Journalism
AssocCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,002
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 4706
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,424
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,799
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$32,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $57,640
Lifetime Value Added
-$253k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,889
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,132
Natl Median: $52,899
Lifetime Value Added
-$287k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,439
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,398
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
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Median Debt
$31,306
Earnings (4yr)
$38,583
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$279k
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Median Debt
$43,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,783
Natl Median: $71,753
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$35,870
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$302k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,308
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,926
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$32,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,726
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$209k
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Median Debt
$30,875
Earnings (5yr)
$42,661
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$251k
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Median Debt
$33,101
Earnings (4yr)
$50,833
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
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Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,387
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,151
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$326k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,087
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,284
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
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Median Debt
$31,688
Earnings (4yr)
$43,084
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,913
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$68,209
Earnings (4yr)
$87,998
Natl Median: $120,083
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
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Median Debt
$75,954
Earnings (4yr)
$57,636
Natl Median: $70,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
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Median Debt
$63,897
Earnings (4yr)
$71,613
Natl Median: $72,860
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,978
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$81,617
Earnings (4yr)
$58,879
Natl Median: $51,486
Lifetime Value Added
-$200k
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Median Debt
$70,962
Earnings (4yr)
$46,730
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
-$317k
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Median Debt
$72,773
Earnings (4yr)
$64,026
Natl Median: $57,810
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
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Journalism
MastCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$100,886
Natl Median: $69,034
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,306
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,942
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$317k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,856
Natl Median: $120,246
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$54,298
Earnings (4yr)
$51,874
Natl Median: $59,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k
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Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.