Academy of Vocal Arts
About
The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) is a private, post-baccalaureate opera school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of 2023, the AVA grants Artist Diplomas to those who complete the full four-year course requirement, but not degrees. The Artist Diploma is designed to be the equivalent in standards to a Master of Fine Arts in Opera Performance (MFA). AVA is a tuition-free institution of training and performance for opera. The school was founded in 1934 by Helen Corning Warden.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 1 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 1 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing0 · 0.0%
- No Data1 · 100.0%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
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.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
Action history · 1
- Jul 2015Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2016–17, students received in Pell grants, alongside $6K in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2016–17
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 12 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 10.9% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
Academic programs at Academy of Vocal Arts
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
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
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Reports & documents (1)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
Notable alumni of Academy of Vocal Arts (16)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Lando BartoliniOpera
- Burak BilgiliOpera
- Gwendolyn BradleyOpera
- Joyce DiDonatoOpera
- Michael FabianoOpera
- Stephen CostelloOpera
- Ruth Ann SwensonOpera
- Angela MeadeOpera
- Erika MiklósaOpera
- Ailyn PérezOpera
- James ValentiOpera
- Latonia MooreOpera
Frequently asked questions about Academy of Vocal Arts
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Academy of Vocal Arts.
How many students attend Academy of Vocal Arts?
Where is Academy of Vocal Arts located?
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