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Art Center College of Design

Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA · City · 2,017 students
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$48,661
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
81%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
50% typical
$71,958
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$48,772 typical
75%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
77% typical · not scored
Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
About

ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena is world-renowned for its rigorous, industry-focused creative education, boasting elite, top-ranked programs in Transportation Design, Entertainment Design, and Industrial Design. The student culture is intensely professional and studio-driven, challenging undergraduates to build market-ready portfolios under the mentorship of a faculty composed of active industry practitioners. Distinctively split between an iconic modernist Hillside Campus and an urban South Campus, ArtCenter sets itself apart through deep corporate partnerships that allow students to solve real-world design briefs for major global brands before graduation.


Wikipedia:The ArtCenter College of Design is a private art college in Pasadena, California.

Location
Pasadena, CA, 91103 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
LAX · Los Angeles
20 mi away
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$54,170
Books & supplies$4,000
Cost of attendance$86,892
Average net price$48,661
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$54,170
Books & supplies$4,000
Cost of attendance$86,892
Average net price$48,661
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.artcenter.edu
How it’s made up · 2025-26
Art Center College of Design’s own figures for 2025-2026, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$55,182
Fees$1,126
Housing$20,224
Books & supplies$4,000
Personal expenses$4,504
Transportation$1,768
Total published by the school$86,892
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$39,645
$30–48k
$42,161
$48–75k
$44,738
$75–110k
$45,677
$110k+
$61,144
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
81%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
35%
Back for yr 2
86%
Transferred
0%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
78% graduated · 8% transferred · 1% still enrolled · 12% left or unknown
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$53,562
10 yrs after entry$71,958
Debt
Median at graduation$31,000
Monthly payment$329
Middle 50% owe$18k–$41k
90th percentile$51,638
Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (small programs): 50% graduate within 6 yrs, $48,772 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
75%
Test policy
Not required
Per College Scorecard

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Essay prompts

If Art Center College of Design asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body
Gender
Men 40%Women 60%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell grant
22%
First-gen
24%
Family income
$30,283
Independent
29%
Age at entry
22.0
Part-time
11%
Race & ethnicity
White
10%
Hispanic
9%
Black
1%
Asian
30%
Two or more
5%
Non-resident
44%
Varsity sports

No data. This school isn't in the U.S. Department of Education's athletics (EADA) file, so we can't list its teams. That doesn't mean it has none.

Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$53,562
After 10 yrs
$71,958
Design and Applied Arts245
Graphic Communications79
Engineering-Related Fields51
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians50
Film/Video and Photographic Arts41
Computer Software and Media Applications20
Fine and Studio Arts18
Architectural Sciences and Technology17
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$153M
Full-time faculty
19%
Faculty salary
$9,383/mo
Teaching spend
$26,617
per student
Federal loans
33%
Classification
Carnegie type
Master's (small programs)
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, selective admissions

Wondering if Art Center College of Design is the right fit for you?

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