Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Savannah College of Art and Design

Savannah, Georgia·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·scad.edu
6-yr Graduation
69%
+24.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
18,550
peer median 11,135
Avg net price
$45,450
+$20k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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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
15,956
15,956 candidates competed
Admitted
13,241
83.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
3,496
26.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
69%+24.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
52%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
69%
Full-time retention
86%

Pell equity

13.0pp gap
Pell recipients
58%
Non-Pell
71%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 13.0-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 45 Title IV programs, 22 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 3 fail. 20 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
45
Passing
22
48.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
3
6.7% of portfolio
Fail rate
6.7%
+6.1pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

45programs
  • Passing22 · 48.9%
  • No Data20 · 44.4%
  • Failing3 · 6.7%

Severity spectrum

Critical
2
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
3
Watch
6
Safe
13
No data
20

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.

25
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
-25.1%
$26,064 vs $34,808
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-16.9%
$40,129 vs $48,304
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.4%
$47,617 vs $48,304
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+1.1%
$35,177 vs $34,808
Arts Entertainment and Media Management
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+6.4%
$51,406 vs $48,304
Graphic Communications
Master's Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
+6.8%
$51,962 vs $48,653
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+11.8%
$53,996 vs $48,304
Historic Preservation and Conservation
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+14.1%
$61,169 vs $53,607

Near the line (±5%)

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

2
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.4%
$687
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+1.1%
+$369

Debt vs earnings

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

22
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
187%
$74,916 debt · $40,129 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
172%
$81,776 debt · $47,617 earn
Graphic Communications
Master's Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
159%
$82,442 debt · $51,962 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
154%
$83,200 debt · $53,996 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
120%
$79,163 debt · $65,866 earn
Architectural Sciences and Technology
Master's Degree · Architecture And Related Services
112%
$87,413 debt · $77,917 earn
Arts Entertainment and Media Management
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
104%
$53,692 debt · $51,406 earn
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
103%
$26,949 debt · $26,064 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 2005Next review Jun 2026

Action history · 5

  1. Dec 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Dec 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Mar 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Jun 2017Removal of Monitoring Status
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Jun 2016Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

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$41,693
$30–48k$42,451
$48–75k$45,149
$75–110k$47,652
$110k+$47,565

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

Avg net price (private)
$45,450
+$19,875vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $25,575
Federal loans
34.6%
In-state tuition
$40,595
Out-of-state
$40,595

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 3,826 students received $21.2M in Pell grants, alongside $162.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,826
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$21.2M
$21,207,926 total
Direct Loans
$162.0M
13,446 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
20
3k
21
3k
22
3k
23
4k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$18.8M
4,550 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$17.4M
5,172 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$15.0M
814 loan awards
Parent PLUS$103.4M
2,555 loan awards
Grad PLUS$7.4M
355 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 2,176 borrowers who entered repayment, 31 (1.4%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.4%
-0.9pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,176
Defaulted
31
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
5.5%
2017
5.1%
2018
3.2%
2019
1.4%
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 SCAD

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs34
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,662 total completions
01Visual/Performing Arts
1,52341.6%
02Comm. Technologies
73320.0%
03Communication
46612.7%
04Engineering Tech
3198.7%
05Business
2306.3%
06Engineering
1133.1%
07Multi/Interdisciplinary
1032.8%
08Architecture
1002.7%
09English Language
391.1%
10Computer Sciences
361.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
18,550
12-mo unduplicated
19,508
Undergraduate
16,171
Graduate
3,337

Gender split

Men
30%5,821
Women
70%13,687

Race / ethnicity composition

White
52.4%
Non-resident
14.8%
Black
12.0%
Hispanic
7.1%
Asian
6.3%
Unknown
5.7%
Two or more
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
427
208 M · 219 W
Women athletes
51.3%
Athletic aid
$9.3M
Total student aid
Budget
$17.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$4.7M
$4.0M
Recruiting expense
$8K
$9K
Head-coach salaries
$37K
$38K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Cross Country
22 M · 35 W
$1.6M
Lacrosse
32 M · 19 W
$1.4M
Soccer
20 M · 28 W
$1.8M
Bowling
26 M · 17 W
$1.7M
Tennis
20 M · 20 W
$1.7M
Golf
15 M · 19 W
$1.5M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.71
28 offenses · 16,414 students

3-year trend

1.192 yrs ago1.851 yr ago1.71Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
74
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
23
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
12

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
9
Rape
8
Motor vehicle theft
4
Burglary
3
Aggravated assault
3
Robbery
1

By location

28total
  • On campus26
  • Public property2

Includes 19 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
2
Dating violence
4
Stalking
6 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs430
Liquor0109

Residence-hall fires

  • Boundary Village1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • G at the Hive1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $0-$99
  • Surf2 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Surf2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Chatham House1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
21.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
768

SCAD vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions SCAD 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
SubjectSavannah College of Art and Design
69%18,550$45,450Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
23%57.9%12,770$19,733Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Life University
38%93.0%2,714$30,257Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Campbellsville University
42%79.7%10,836$18,246Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Piedmont University
47%93.3%1,857$20,893Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
The University of Tampa
64%40.3%11,433$35,634Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median44%79.7%11,135$25,575

Frequently asked questions about Savannah College of Art and Design

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about SCAD.

What is the graduation rate at Savannah College of Art and Design?

Savannah College of Art and Design reports a 6-year graduation rate of 69% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Savannah College of Art and Design?

Savannah College of Art and Design reports a total enrollment of 18,550 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Savannah College of Art and Design?

The average net price at Savannah College of Art and Design is $45,450 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Savannah College of Art and Design?

Savannah College of Art and Design's yield rate is 26.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Savannah College of Art and Design located?

Savannah College of Art and Design is located in Savannah, Georgia 31402-3146.

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