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Is School of the Art Institute of Chicago worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for School of the Art Institute of Chicago, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
School of the Art Institute of Chicago lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $49,790 in yearly net price and $27,000 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $40,151. For context, School of the Art Institute of Chicago's net price sits about 143% above the typical 4-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 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$55,485
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $32,648 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $131,000 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
$49,790
Median earnings 10 years out
$40,151
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
65%
At School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a typical graduate carries about $27,000 in student debt and earns roughly $40,151 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $307 per month, or 9% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
What this means for your family
School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private nonprofit four year school in Chicago, IL. 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
Methodist
Peoria, IL
Worth-It Score: 47/100
Median net price: $41,787
Private nonprofit 4-year
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL
Worth-It Score: 61/100
Median net price: $36,079
Private nonprofit 4-year
Yeshiva
New York, NY
Worth-It Score: 49/100
Median net price: $49,965
Private nonprofit 4-year
Santa Clara
Santa Clara, CA
Worth-It Score: 80/100
Median net price: $50,062
Private nonprofit 4-year
Berklee College of Music
Boston, MA
Worth-It Score: 29/100
Median net price: $49,465
Common questions about School of the Art Institute of Chicago
The median net price at School of the Art Institute of Chicago is $49,790 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 Illinois? See the most affordable private colleges in Illinois →
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 →