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.
Graduation rate & outcomes
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.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 62 Title IV programs, 20 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 3 fail. 39 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing20 · 32.3%
- No Data39 · 62.9%
- Failing3 · 4.8%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 7
- Jun 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused ReviewWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Jun 2021Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Mar 2021Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Oct 2019Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Jun 2018Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning RemovedWASC Senior College and University Commission
Tuition & cost
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.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 2,751 students received $10.6M in Pell grants, alongside $67.9M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 2,991 borrowers who entered repayment, 38 (1.2%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Academy of Art
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 8
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus15
- Public property13
Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Edgar Degas Apartments1 fireArson - A student used a lighter to set a napkin on fire in their dorm room.Damage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Academy of Art vs Peer comparison
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 |
| 6% | — | 11,277 | $14,449 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 47% | — | 50,715 | $9,104 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 26% | — | 17,763 | $14,975 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 45% | — | 27,169 | $31,759 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 24% | 96.5% | 16,178 | $19,196 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 76% | 92.6% | 3,812 | $58,628 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 17% | — | 716 | $24,116 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 33% | — | 3,037 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 19% | — | 1,998 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 23% | — | 34 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| Peer group median | 26% | 94.6% | 5,498 | $21,656 |
Institutions like Academy of Art
Explore the federal data for institutions in Academy of Art's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsArizona
American InterContinental University System
Grad rate6%Admit rate—Enrollment11,277Net price$14,449View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsWest Virginia
American Public University System
Grad rate47%Admit rate—Enrollment50,715Net price$9,104View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsAlabama
Columbia Southern University
Grad rate26%Admit rate—Enrollment17,763Net price$14,975View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsFlorida
Full Sail University
Grad rate45%Admit rate—Enrollment27,169Net price$31,759View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsConnecticut
Post University
Grad rate24%Admit rate96.5%Enrollment16,178Net price$19,196View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
School of Visual Arts
Grad rate76%Admit rate92.6%Enrollment3,812Net price$58,628View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsGeorgia
South University-Savannah
Grad rate17%Admit rate—Enrollment716Net price$24,116View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNorth Carolina
Strayer University-North Carolina
Grad rate33%Admit rate—Enrollment3,037Net price—View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsVirginia
Strayer University-Virginia
Grad rate19%Admit rate—Enrollment1,998Net price—View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
University of Phoenix-California
Grad rate23%Admit rate—Enrollment34Net price—View data
Reports & documents (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 (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
Notable alumni of Academy of Art (6)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Lauren ConradTelevision and Fashion
- Raven-SymonéEntertainment
- Rick BakerSpecial Effects
- Flying LotusMusic
- Gabrielle E.W. CarterArt
- Stan MusilekPhotography
Frequently asked questions about Academy of Art University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Academy of Art.
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