Art Center College of Design vs San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI)

Art Center College of Design and San Francisco Art Institute, two esteemed institutions renowned for their contributions to the art and design world, offer distinct educational experiences. Art Center, located in Pasadena, California, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 17%, while San Francisco Art Institute, nestled in the heart of San Francisco, maintains a slightly higher acceptance rate of 22%. Both institutions attract a diverse student body, with Art Center's student population comprising 44% male and 56% female students, and San Francisco Art Institute's student body consisting of 40% male and 60% female students. While Art Center's student body is predominantly White (54%), San Francisco Art Institute's student body is more diverse, with 39% White, 29% Asian, 15% Hispanic/Latino, and 11% Black students. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these
Art Center College of Design logo

Art Center College of Design

San Francisco Art Institute logo

San Francisco Art Institute

Overview

Location Pasadena, California San Francisco, California
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%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 75.6% 94.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $85
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 982 169
Total number of admissions given out 742 160
Admitted students who chose to enroll 269
Yield rate 36.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A
High school GPA Not required N/A
Recommendation letters Not required N/A
High school transcript Not required N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $72,066
Average net price $50,420
Tuition $47,334
Room & board
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

64.0%
Average amount $17,667
Students receiving federal student loan 39.0%
Average amount $5,367
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $38,675

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,028
Men 41.7% Women 58.3%
42
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
Graduate students 291
Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
28
Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 45.4% N/A
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity N/A N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? N/A N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Communications Technology
  • Architecture
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 4:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission N/A

Outcome

Graduation rate 75.9% 31.8%
Dropout rate 9.8% 68.2%
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
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $32,786
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,309
  • Year 2: $30,119
  • Year 3: $30,264
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $22,116
  • Year 2: $28,381
  • Year 3: $29,237
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,494
  • Year 2: $22,420
  • Year 3: $16,882
Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $16,008
  • Year 3: N/A