Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate (for-profit)

School of Visual Arts

New York, New York·Private for-profit, 4-year or above·Mid East·sva.edu
6-yr Graduation
76%
+9.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
3,812
peer median 877
Avg net price
$58,628
+$17k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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About

The School of Visual Arts (SVA) is a private college located in New York City that specializes in educating artists, designers, and other creative professionals. Founded in 1947, it currently offers 30 programs and has an enrollment of approximately 6,000 students supported by over 1,100 faculty members.

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

Applied
3,140
3,140 candidates competed
Admitted
2,909
92.6% acceptance rate
Enrolled
604
20.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
76%+9.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
57%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
76%
Full-time retention
85%

Pell equity

6.0pp gap
Pell recipients
64%
Non-Pell
70%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.0-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 17 Title IV programs, 5 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 6 fail. 6 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
17
Passing
5
29.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
6
35.3% of portfolio
Fail rate
35.3%
+34.7pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

17programs
  • Passing5 · 29.4%
  • No Data6 · 35.3%
  • Failing6 · 35.3%

Severity spectrum

Critical
1
Severe
1
Recoverable
4
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
4
No data
6

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.

11
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-17.9%
$39,654 vs $48,304
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
-13.5%
$30,125 vs $34,808
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-4.4%
$33,288 vs $34,808
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-3.5%
$46,609 vs $48,304
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.5%
$34,286 vs $34,808
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-1.0%
$59,511 vs $60,112
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+18.6%
$41,271 vs $34,808
Design and Applied Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+34.9%
$65,176 vs $48,304

Near the line (±5%)

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

4
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-4.4%
$1,520
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-3.5%
$1,695
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.5%
$522
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-1.0%
$601

Debt vs earnings

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

10
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
186%
$73,655 debt · $39,654 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
158%
$94,202 debt · $59,511 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
153%
$99,445 debt · $65,176 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
143%
$66,507 debt · $46,609 earn
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
90%
$27,000 debt · $30,125 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
81%
$27,000 debt · $33,288 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
79%
$27,000 debt · $34,286 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
65%
$27,000 debt · $41,271 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

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

Accredited since 1981Next review Jun 2028
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1978Next review Jan 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 2

Action history · 6

  1. Aug 2025Grant Substantive Change: Ownership
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  2. Jun 2021Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  3. May 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  4. Oct 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
  5. Jun 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education

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$51,786
$30–48k$56,500
$48–75k$57,116
$75–110k$63,333
$110k+$63,857

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

Avg net price (private)
$58,628
+$17,465vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $41,163
Federal loans
24.7%
In-state tuition
$49,140
Out-of-state
$49,140

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 645 students received $4.0M in Pell grants, alongside $28.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
645
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$4.0M
$4,027,828 total
Direct Loans
$28.9M
2,232 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.7M
822 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.6M
866 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$2.2M
114 loan awards
Parent PLUS$16.8M
358 loan awards
Grad PLUS$3.6M
72 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 627 borrowers who entered repayment, 8 (1.2%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.2%
-1.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
627
Defaulted
8
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.2%
2017
2.7%
2018
2.0%
2019
1.2%
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 School of Visual Arts

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs19
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,114 total completions
01Visual/Performing Arts
60554.3%
02Computer Sciences
30827.6%
03Comm. Technologies
837.5%
04Multi/Interdisciplinary
514.6%
05Communication
343.1%
06Health Professions
222.0%
07Education
111.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
3,812
12-mo unduplicated
4,198
Undergraduate
3,557
Graduate
641

Gender split

Men
26%1,084
Women
74%3,114

Race / ethnicity composition

Non-resident
52.0%
Asian
14.9%
White
13.7%
Hispanic
9.4%
Unknown
6.2%
Black
2.9%
Two or more
0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
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
0.73
3 offenses · 4,127 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.241 yr ago0.73Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
4
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
5
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
2
Fondling
1

By location

3total
  • On campus2
  • Public property1

VAWA offenses

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

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs03
Liquor024

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
9.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
140

School of Visual Arts vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions School of Visual Arts 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
SubjectSchool of Visual Arts
76%3,812$58,628Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Art Academy of Cincinnati
41%34.5%213$38,041
Art Center College of Design
79%74.5%2,308$50,209Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
California College of the Arts
61%91.1%1,308$42,168
California Institute of the Arts
67%32.3%1,277$47,183Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Cleveland Institute of Art
58%61.3%545$41,480
College for Creative Studies
71%91.9%1,433$33,342
Columbus College of Art & Design
56%67.7%916$30,139
Cornish College of the Arts
56%62.2%505$39,060
Cranbrook Academy of Art
113
Kansas City Art Institute
58%54.8%813$29,555
Laguna College of Art and Design
52%94.3%775$42,354
Maine College of Art & Design
52%76.1%475$36,443
Maryland Institute College of Art
72%76.8%1,687$38,429
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
69%76.3%1,989$23,764
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
67%60.5%838$27,514
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
51%48.5%831$25,935
Montserrat College of Art
53%227$34,725Baccalaureate
Moore College of Art and Design
57%56.5%549$43,369
Otis College of Art and Design
66%81.8%1,267$45,864
Pacific Northwest College of Art
29%74.8%466$40,846
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
58%41$45,022
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
69%99.2%414$29,266
Pratt Institute-Main
74%73.3%5,356$50,647
Rhode Island School of Design
89%18.7%2,520$46,253Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Ringling College of Art and Design
72%69.7%1,666$55,390
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
67%77.5%3,394$49,822
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
81%20.7%933$16,478Baccalaureate
University of the Arts
69%78.2%$44,154
Peer group median67%73.3%877$41,163

School of Visual Arts Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Reports to Office of Academic Affairs
Email
provost [at] sva.edu
Phone
212.592.2580
Address
209 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010

The Office of Institutional Research’s mission is to collect and analyze institutional data to support SVA’s goals and strategies.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Jerold L. Davis
    Director, Institutional Research

Reports & documents (7)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Grants & funding (1)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

Notable alumni of School of Visual Arts (21)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Aaron Augenblick
    Animation
  • John R. Dilworth
    Animation
  • Rebecca Sugar
    Animation
  • Dana Terrace
    Animation
  • Steve Ditko
    Cartooning
  • Keith Haring
    Cartooning
  • Gerard Way
    Cartooning/Music
  • Raina Telgemeier
    Illustration
  • James Jean
    Illustration
  • Jerry Craft
    Cartooning
  • Joe Quesada
    Cartooning
  • Carlos Saldanha
    Film and video
Showing 112 of 21
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about School of Visual Arts

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about School of Visual Arts.

What is the graduation rate at School of Visual Arts?

School of Visual Arts reports a 6-year graduation rate of 76% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend School of Visual Arts?

School of Visual Arts reports a total enrollment of 3,812 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at School of Visual Arts?

The average net price at School of Visual Arts is $58,628 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at School of Visual Arts?

School of Visual Arts's yield rate is 20.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is School of Visual Arts located?

School of Visual Arts is located in New York, New York 10010.

Who runs Institutional Research at School of Visual Arts?

School of Visual Arts's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, which reports to Office of Academic Affairs.

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