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Is Academy of Art University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Academy of Art, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Academy of Art lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $40,613 in yearly net price and $31,000 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $39,008. For context, Academy of Art's net price runs about 43% above the typical 4-year, private for-profit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 186 similar 4-year, private for-profit schools
This school
$36,591
/yrAverage school like this
$25,582
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $11,010 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $44,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$40,613
Median earnings 10 years out
$39,008
Median debt at graduation
$31,000
Graduation rate
38%
At Academy of Art, a typical graduate carries about $31,000 in student debt and earns roughly $39,008 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $352 per month, or 11% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
What this means for your family
Academy of Art is a private for-profit school in San Francisco, CA. In this category, families usually need to look especially hard at debt, repayment room, and whether the long-run earnings picture justifies the price.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private for-profit 4-year
New York Film Academy
Burbank, CA
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $39,011
Private for-profit 4-year
Los Angeles College of Music
Pasadena, CA
Worth-It Score: 16/100
Median net price: $43,590
Private for-profit 4-year
Stanbridge
Irvine, CA
Worth-It Score: 39/100
Median net price: $45,372
Private for-profit 4-year
California Aeronautical
Bakersfield, CA
Worth-It Score: 15/100
Median net price: $36,126
Private for-profit 4-year
Newschool of Architecture and Design
San Diego, CA
Worth-It Score: 31/100
Median net price: $52,570
Common questions about Academy of Art
The median net price at Academy of Art is $40,613 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at for-profit colleges options in California? See the most affordable for-profit colleges in California →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →