Private nonprofit

Columbus College of Art & Design

Columbus, Ohio·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·ccad.edu
6-yr Graduation
56%
-2.0pp vs peer
Total enrollment
916
peer median 419
Avg net price
$30,139
-$2.5k vs peer
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
1,079
1,079 candidates competed
Admitted
730
67.7% acceptance rate
Enrolled
234
32.1% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
56%-2.0pp vs peer
4-year graduation
48%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
56%
Full-time retention
80%

Pell equity

35.0pp gap
Pell recipients
50%
Non-Pell
85%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 35.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

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, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 3 fail. 3 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
8
Passing
2
25.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
3
37.5% of portfolio
Fail rate
37.5%
+36.9pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

8programs
  • Passing2 · 25.0%
  • No Data3 · 37.5%
  • Failing3 · 37.5%

Severity spectrum

Critical
1
Severe
1
Recoverable
1
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
2
No data
3

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.

5
Visual and Performing Arts General
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-16.3%
$35,887 vs $42,885
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-7.9%
$32,061 vs $34,808
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
-4.1%
$33,389 vs $34,808
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+25.4%
$43,661 vs $34,808
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+38.5%
$48,204 vs $34,808

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
-4.1%
$1,419

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

5
Visual and Performing Arts General
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
176%
$63,093 debt · $35,887 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
84%
$27,000 debt · $32,061 earn
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
81%
$27,000 debt · $33,389 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
62%
$27,000 debt · $43,661 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
56%
$27,000 debt · $48,204 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1986Next review Aug 2031
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation

Accredited since 1975Next review Jun 2022

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 5

  1. Jun 2021Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  2. Jan 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  3. Nov 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  4. Oct 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  5. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation · Art and Design (ART) - Degree-granting schools and departments and non-degree-granting programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$22,182
$30–48k$30,353
$48–75k$31,007
$75–110k$33,394
$110k+$34,713

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$30,139
-$2,484vs peer median $32,623
Federal loans
68.6%
In-state tuition
$39,650
Out-of-state
$39,650

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 440 students received $2.6M in Pell grants, alongside $8.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
440
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.6M
$2,604,065 total
Direct Loans
$8.8M
1,404 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
0k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$2.5M
578 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.1M
632 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$314K
17 loan awards
Parent PLUS$3.8M
174 loan awards
Grad PLUS$74K
3 loan awards

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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 312 borrowers who entered repayment, 11 (3.5%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.5%
+1.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
312
Defaulted
11
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
7.4%
2017
12.2%
2018
5.9%
2019
3.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* 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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at CCAD

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs14
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

217 total completions
01Visual/Performing Arts
17580.6%
02Comm. Technologies
4018.4%
03Business
20.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
916
12-mo unduplicated
940
Undergraduate
915
Graduate
25

Gender split

Men
28%259
Women
72%681

Race / ethnicity composition

White
66.5%
Black
10.9%
Hispanic
8.5%
Two or more
4.4%
Unknown
4.4%
Asian
3.9%
Non-resident
1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
6.17
6 offenses · 972 students

3-year trend

2.972 yrs ago7.001 yr ago6.17Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
16
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
5
Rape
1

By location

6total
  • On campus3
  • Public property3

Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs03
Liquor01

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
10.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
54

CCAD vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions CCAD selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

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
SubjectColumbus College of Art & Design
56%916$30,139
Cleveland Institute of Art
58%61.3%545$41,480
Cleveland Institute of Music
72%47.3%293$32,623
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
67%60.5%838$27,514
Art Academy of Cincinnati
41%34.5%213$38,041
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
107
Peer group median58%53.9%419$32,623

Frequently asked questions about Columbus College of Art & Design

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about CCAD.

What is the graduation rate at Columbus College of Art & Design?

Columbus College of Art & Design reports a 6-year graduation rate of 56% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Columbus College of Art & Design?

Columbus College of Art & Design reports a total enrollment of 916 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Columbus College of Art & Design?

The average net price at Columbus College of Art & Design is $30,139 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Columbus College of Art & Design?

Columbus College of Art & Design's yield rate is 32.1%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Columbus College of Art & Design located?

Columbus College of Art & Design is located in Columbus, Ohio 43215.

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