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Is Art Center College of Design worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Art Center College of Design, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Art Center College of Design sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $71,958 helps, but median debt of $31,000 plus yearly net price of $48,661 creates a tighter path. For context, Art Center College of Design's net price sits about 133% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school and near the top of its sector range. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$53,306
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $30,469 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $122,000 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
$48,661
Median earnings 10 years out
$71,958
Median debt at graduation
$31,000
Graduation rate
81%
At Art Center College of Design, a typical graduate carries about $31,000 in student debt and earns roughly $71,958 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $352 per month, or 6% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Art Center College of Design is a private nonprofit four year school in Pasadena, CA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Loyola Marymount
Los Angeles, CA
Worth-It Score: 56/100
Median net price: $48,381
Private nonprofit 4-year
Santa Clara
Santa Clara, CA
Worth-It Score: 80/100
Median net price: $50,062
Private nonprofit 4-year
Chapman
Orange, CA
Worth-It Score: 51/100
Median net price: $46,555
Private nonprofit 4-year
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, CA
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $51,248
Private nonprofit 4-year
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA
Worth-It Score: 31/100
Median net price: $46,080
Common questions about Art Center College of Design
The median net price at Art Center College of Design is $48,661 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 private colleges options in California? See the most affordable private 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 →