About
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), located in downtown Chicago, is an independent institution renowned for its interdisciplinary approach to art and design education. Founded over 155 years ago, SAIC offers undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate programs, and is recognized for its fine arts graduate program, consistently ranked among the top in the nation.
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 12.0-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 14 Title IV programs, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 3 fail. 9 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing2 · 14.3%
- No Data9 · 64.3%
- Failing3 · 21.4%
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.
National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 1
Action history · 6
- Jan 2024Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
- Jun 2021Voluntary Withdrawal ReceivedNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- Nov 2020Renewal of AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- May 2020Renewal 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, 708 students received $4.2M in Pell grants, alongside $36.0M 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 615 borrowers who entered repayment, 5 (0.8%) 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 SAIC
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 campus1
- Public property10
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.
SAIC vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions SAIC 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSchool of the Art Institute of Chicago | 67% | — | 3,394 | $49,790 | — |
| 79% | 74.5% | 2,308 | $48,661 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs | |
| 61% | 91.1% | 1,308 | $53,909 | — | |
| 67% | 32.3% | 1,277 | $46,080 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs | |
| 52% | 89.5% | 5,570 | $26,598 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs | |
| 58% | 54.8% | 813 | $27,650 | — | |
| 72% | 76.8% | 1,687 | $42,729 | — | |
| 74% | 73.3% | 5,356 | $52,659 | — | |
| 89% | 18.7% | 2,520 | $50,507 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 69% | 83.0% | 18,550 | $49,430 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 76% | 92.6% | 3,812 | $57,914 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 69% | 63.5% | 9,068 | $58,741 | R2 Research | |
| Peer group median | 69% | 74.5% | 2,957 | $49,610 |
Institutions like SAIC
Explore the federal data for institutions in SAIC's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsCalifornia
Art Center College of Design
Grad rate79%Admit rate74.5%Enrollment2,308Net price$48,661View data - California
California College of the Arts
Grad rate61%Admit rate91.1%Enrollment1,308Net price$53,909View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsCalifornia
California Institute of the Arts
Grad rate67%Admit rate32.3%Enrollment1,277Net price$46,080View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsIllinois
Columbia College Chicago
Grad rate52%Admit rate89.5%Enrollment5,570Net price$26,598View 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 - New York
Pratt Institute-Main
Grad rate74%Admit rate73.3%Enrollment5,356Net price$52,659View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsRhode Island
Rhode Island School of Design
Grad rate89%Admit rate18.7%Enrollment2,520Net price$50,507View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsGeorgia
Savannah College of Art and Design
Grad rate69%Admit rate83.0%Enrollment18,550Net price$49,430View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew York
School of Visual Arts
Grad rate76%Admit rate92.6%Enrollment3,812Net price$57,914View data - R2 ResearchNew York
The New School
Grad rate69%Admit rate63.5%Enrollment9,068Net price$58,741View data
SAIC Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The page for the Office of Institutional Advancement at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago provides general contact information and quicklinks to request information, apply, contact, visit, and support the institution. It includes their address, phone number, and email for admissions.
Visit IR office pageReports & 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 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago2026The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is embarking on a new strategic plan to ensure a clear and purposeful delivery of its mission. This plan spans the 2025-26 academic year and focuses on nurturing students' creativity, strengthening community ties, and enhancing global impact. Key themes include improving student retention, enhancing post-graduate outcomes, reducing barriers to work, aligning financial spending with priorities, and addressing community-driven initiatives.saic.edu
Grants & funding (4)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- opportunityTuition Exchange ScholarshipSchool of the Art Institute of Chicagoinstitution_site$43,000
- opportunityAdmitted Student Campus Visit GrantSchool of the Art Institute of Chicagoinstitution_site$4,000
- opportunityPhi Theta Kappa ScholarshipSchool of the Art Institute of Chicagoinstitution_site$2,000
- opportunityThe Margot and Thomas Pritzker ScholarshipSchool of the Art Institute of Chicagoinstitution_site
Notable alumni of SAIC (7)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Roger BrownPainting
- William CordovaMultidisciplinary Arts
- Chris WareCartooning
- Cynthia RowleyFashion
- Darryl DeAngelo TerrellPhotography
- Herb Kawainui KanePainting
- David SedarisLiterature
Frequently asked questions about School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about SAIC.
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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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