Art Center College of Design vs Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Art Center College of Design and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, two prestigious institutions renowned for their artistic and design programs, offer distinct educational experiences. Art Center, located in Pasadena, California, boasts a 28% acceptance rate, while Cooper Union, situated in New York City, has a highly selective 10% acceptance rate. Art Center's popular majors include Illustration, Graphic Design, and Transportation Design, while Cooper Union emphasizes Architecture, Fine Arts, and Engineering. Art Center's student body is predominantly male (63%), while Cooper Union's is more evenly distributed (53% male, 47% female). Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Art Center at 88% and Cooper Union at 91%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and career goals.
Art Center College of Design logo

Art Center College of Design

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art logo

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Overview

Location Pasadena, California New York, New York
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 85.0% 91.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 75.6% 14.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 982 2,678
Total number of admissions given out 742 393
Admitted students who chose to enroll 269 210
Yield rate 36.3% 53.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $72,066 $67,146
Average net price $50,420 $20,757
Tuition $47,334 $44,550
Room & board
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

64.0%
Average amount $17,667
100.0%
Average amount $38,212
Students receiving federal student loan 39.0%
Average amount $5,367
20.0%
Average amount $4,814
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $38,675
1.0%
Average amount $24,000

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,028
Men 41.7% Women 58.3%
876
Men 53.2% Women 46.8%
Graduate students 291
Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
60
Men 80.0% Women 20.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 36.5%
International students 45.4% 14.6%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity N/A 170
First year students are required to live on campus? N/A No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A New York New Jersey California Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Communications Technology
  • Architecture
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Architecture
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 75.9% 83.4%
Dropout rate 9.8% 11.8%
Transferred out 8.6% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,017
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $57,513
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,536
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $27,282
Architectural Sciences and Technology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,380
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,126
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,973
  • Year 2: $81,702
  • Year 3: N/A
Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,061
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,685
  • Year 2: $20,824
  • Year 3: N/A
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $11,851
  • Year 3: N/A
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $17,249
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,818
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $19,405
Astronomy and Astrophysics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,379
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: N/A

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