School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL 2,805 Undergrads 69.1% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$75,625

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$49,790

After Aid

Median Earnings

$45,385

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$49,790

Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$45,385

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Graduation Rate69.1%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients18.9%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time93.1%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS45.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

77.5%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: --75th: -

SAT Math

25th: --75th: -

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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

+$415k

-$52k

-$70k

Median Cost$50k/yr

+$235k

-$231k

-$249k

Full Cost$76k/yr

+$143k

-$324k

-$342k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

Never

-∞

Median Cost$50k/yr

Never

-139%

Full Cost$76k/yr

Never

-126%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
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-137%

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-101%

Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$45,602

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

-$247k

Interior Architecture

BachCIP: 0405

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $60,369

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

BachCIP: 2313

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,471

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Visual and Performing Arts, General

BachCIP: 5001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,688

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Design and Applied Arts

PB-CertCIP: 5004

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $81,857

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

PB-CertCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $26,285

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Master's Degrees

Architecture

MastCIP: 0402

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$74,629

Natl Median: $74,139

Lifetime Value Added

-$74k

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management

MastCIP: 5010

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $59,685

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Design and Applied Arts

MastCIP: 5004

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $70,073

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

MastCIP: 5007

Median Debt

$69,783

Earnings (4yr)

$47,355

Natl Median: $49,079

Lifetime Value Added

-$324k

Journalism

MastCIP: 0904

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,034

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions

MastCIP: 5123

Median Debt

$69,198

Earnings (4yr)

$58,809

Natl Median: $71,416

Lifetime Value Added

-$215k

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

MastCIP: 2313

Median Debt

$62,718

Earnings (4yr)

$42,100

Natl Median: $55,035

Lifetime Value Added

-$375k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas

MastCIP: 1313

Median Debt

$50,834

Earnings (4yr)

$52,952

Natl Median: $63,707

Lifetime Value Added

-$270k

Visual and Performing Arts, General

MastCIP: 5001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $59,460

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.