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Is American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $56,942 in yearly net price and $12,000 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $41,451. For context, American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York's net price sits about 131% above the typical 2-year, private nonprofit school and near the top of its sector range. 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 76 similar 2-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$49,205
/yrAverage school like this
$21,342
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $27,863 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $111,000 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 is workable, but not so strong that it erases financing risk.
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
$56,942
Median earnings 10 years out
$41,451
Median debt at graduation
$12,000
Graduation rate
96%
At American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York, a typical graduate carries about $12,000 in student debt and earns roughly $41,451 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $136 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $10,658 more than the typical working high school graduate in New York ($30,793) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
57% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York is a two year school in New York, NY. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Center for Allied Health Education
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Worth-It Score: 92/100
Median net price: $58,871
2-year
New York School of Interior Design
New York, NY
Worth-It Score: 53/100
Median net price: $59,673
2-year
Mandl School-The College of Allied Health
New York, NY
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $52,349
2-year
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
New York, NY
Worth-It Score: 45/100
Median net price: $43,641
2-year
St Paul's School of Nursing-Staten Island
Staten Island, NY
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $40,011
Common questions about American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York
The median net price at American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York is $56,942 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.
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 →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$56,942a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →