About
The Cleveland Institute of Art is a private college located in Cleveland, Ohio, with a focus on art and design education. The institution offers various programs in creative fields and features facilities that encourage innovation and collaboration, such as the Interactive Media Lab. Though the founding year is not mentioned on the page, the institution emphasizes integration with business and health care sectors.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 8 Title IV programs, 1 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 6 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing1 · 12.5%
- No Data6 · 75.0%
- Failing1 · 12.5%
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.
Higher Learning Commission
National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 3
- Jan 2021Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
- May 2019Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation · Art and Design (ART) - Degree-granting schools and departments and non-degree-granting programs
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, 282 students received $1.8M in Pell grants, alongside $6.2M 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 169 borrowers who entered repayment, 7 (4.1%) defaulted within three years — above 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 Cleveland Institute 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
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 campus2
Includes 2 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
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Cleveland Institute of Art vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Cleveland Institute 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCleveland Institute of Art | 58% | — | 545 | $29,208 | — |
| 71% | 91.9% | 1,433 | $34,617 | — | |
| 56% | 67.7% | 916 | $29,439 | — | |
| 58% | 54.8% | 813 | $27,650 | — | |
| 72% | 76.8% | 1,687 | $42,729 | — | |
| 67% | 60.5% | 838 | $26,541 | — | |
| 51% | 48.5% | 831 | $29,926 | — | |
| Peer group median | 58% | 64.1% | 838 | $29,439 |
Institutions like Cleveland Institute of Art
Explore the federal data for institutions in Cleveland Institute of Art's comparison group.
- Michigan
College for Creative Studies
Grad rate71%Admit rate91.9%Enrollment1,433Net price$34,617View data - Ohio
Columbus College of Art & Design
Grad rate56%Admit rate67.7%Enrollment916Net price$29,439View data - Missouri
Kansas City Art Institute
Grad rate58%Admit rate54.8%Enrollment813Net price$27,650View data - Maryland
Maryland Institute College of Art
Grad rate72%Admit rate76.8%Enrollment1,687Net price$42,729View data - Wisconsin
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Grad rate67%Admit rate60.5%Enrollment838Net price$26,541View data - Minnesota
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Grad rate51%Admit rate48.5%Enrollment831Net price$29,926View data
Cleveland Institute of Art Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
- Zachary MorganDirector, Institutional Research + Effectiveness
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 planStrategic Plan 2020–20272020The Cleveland Institute of Art's strategic plan for 2020-2027 focuses on cultivating creative leaders, advancing the college, and strengthening community ties. Key initiatives include evolving the curriculum, supporting student success, launching new programs, and fostering inclusivity. By aligning with community partners and engaging alumni, CIA aims to ensure the institution's long-term growth and impact on the arts and design landscape.cia.edu
Notable alumni of Cleveland Institute of Art (7)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Richard AnuszkiewiczArt
- Brian AzzarelloLiterature
- Brian Michael BendisLiterature
- Marc BrownLiterature
- Viktor SchreckengostDesign
- Betty LaDukeArt
- Mary Ann ScherrDesign
Frequently asked questions about Cleveland Institute of Art
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Cleveland Institute of Art.
What is the graduation rate at Cleveland Institute of Art?
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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