Minneapolis College of Art and Design vs Art Center College of Design

Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) and Art Center College of Design (ACCD) stand out as two prominent institutions dedicated to nurturing artistic talent. While both colleges share a commitment to excellence in art education, they offer distinct experiences for aspiring artists. MCAD boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students seeking a well-rounded education in the arts. ACCD, on the other hand, is known for its rigorous admissions process, resulting in a highly selective student body. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your artistic journey.

	Art Center College of Design	Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Overview
Location	Pasadena, California	Minneapolis, Minnesota
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%	77.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.6%	65.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
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	638
Total number of admissions given out	742	418
Admitted students who chose to enroll	269	163
Yield rate	36.3%	39.0%
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	$55,702
Average net price	$50,420	$28,520
Tuition	$47,334	$41,344
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $5,980 Meal plan: $1,200
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 $25,957
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $5,367	96.0% Average amount $5,416
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $38,675	20.0% Average amount $15,914

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,028 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%	675 Men 31.6% Women 68.4%
Graduate students	291 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%	100 Men 22.0% Women 78.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	44.4%
International students	45.4%	4.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	288
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois Iowa South Dakota

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Engineering Technologies Communications Technology Architecture Computer and Information Science	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology Business Communication and Journalism Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	75.9%	66.2%
Dropout rate	9.8%	18.6%
Transferred out	8.6%	15.2%
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 (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $34,987 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,412 Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $34,268 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $25,993 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $28,847 Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,090 Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $26,963 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,098 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: $25,223 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,078 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Art Center College of Design

American Conservatory Theater