Academy of Art University
About
The Academy of Art University formerly Academy of Art College and Richard Stephens Academy of Art, is a private for-profit art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded as the Academy of Advertising Art by Richard S. Stephens in 1929. The school is one of the largest property owners in San Francisco, with the main campus located on New Montgomery Street in the South of Market district.
Outcomes & equity
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell recipients graduate at a higher rate than non-Pell students here — unusual and worth investigating.
What families actually pay
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Academic programs
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Faculty
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Academy of Art vs IPEDS peer group
The peer institutions Academy of Art selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectAcademy of Art University | 34% | — | 5,498 | $39,778 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
American InterContinental University System | 6% | — | 11,277 | $14,449 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
American Public University System | 47% | — | 50,715 | $9,104 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Columbia Southern University | 26% | — | 17,763 | $14,975 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Full Sail University | 45% | — | 27,169 | $31,759 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Post University | 24% | 96.5% | 16,178 | $19,196 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
School of Visual Arts | 76% | 92.6% | 3,812 | $58,628 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
South University-Savannah | 17% | — | 716 | $24,116 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Strayer University-North Carolina | 33% | — | 3,037 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Strayer University-Virginia | 19% | — | 1,998 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
University of Phoenix-California | 23% | — | 34 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| Peer group median | 26% | 94.6% | 5,498 | $21,656 |
Documents & reports (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planAcademy of Art University Strategic Plan 2022-20272022The Academy of Art University Strategic Plan 2022-2027, launched by President Stephens, aims to ensure educational excellence by adapting to the evolving needs of students and the industry. It was developed through a collaborative process involving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Board of Directors. The Strategic Planning Committee will oversee the plan's implementation and provide regular updates to the Academy community.academyart.edu
Grants & funding opportunities (5)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- opportunityTransfer ScholarshipAcademy of Art Universityinstitution_site$10,000
- opportunityInternational Student ScholarshipsAcademy of Art Universityinstitution_site$5,000
- opportunityAhead of the Curve - Summer 2026 New High School Graduate ScholarshipAcademy of Art Universityinstitution_site$3,000
- opportunityArt Educators Studio ProgramAcademy of Art Universityinstitution_site
- opportunityReserve Officers’ Training Corps Scholarship (ROTC)Academy of Art Universityinstitution_site
IR job openings (1)
Institutional Research and analytics roles currently posted at this institution.
Notable alumni (10)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Richard JenningsGraphic Design
- Jan Philip CramerAnimation & Visual Effects
- Beau OylerIndustrial Design
- Jason SperlingAdvertising
- Lauren ConradTelevision and Fashion
- Raven-SymonéEntertainment
- Rick BakerSpecial Effects
- Flying LotusMusic
- Gabrielle E.W. CarterArt
- Stan MusilekPhotography
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