Quad
Academy of Art UniversitySan Francisco, CA · Private for-profit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects (19% of graduates). 14 students for every faculty member, more than at 58% of colleges. 16% of faculty are full-time. Spends $14,838 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

462 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 49% of graduates; 31 programs in 9 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects 10.030419% 90
    Graduates in this field earn $50,833 4 years out
  2. Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation 11.08048.4% 39
    Graduates in this field earn $73,398 4 years out
  3. Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General 15.13018.0% 37
    Graduates in this field earn $66,783 4 years out
  4. Illustration 50.04107.6% 35
    Graduates in this field earn $38,583 4 years out
  5. Cinematography and Film/Video Production 50.06025.8% 27
    Graduates in this field earn $46,726 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Engineering technologies, 0.0% → 15% of graduates since 2014–15 (71 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Computer Software and Media Applications$73,398 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $45,387

    4 years after completion$73,398
    National median: $58,894Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $74,742 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $36,750 · 258 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians$66,783 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $48,978

    4 years after completion$66,783
    National median: $71,753Below typical

    Median federal debt: $40,171 · 144 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations$60,284 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$60,284
    National median: $59,631About typical

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 26 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Radio, Television, and Digital Communication$54,087 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $25,425

    4 years after completion$54,087
    National median: $50,497Above typical

    Median federal debt: $23,473 · 40 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Graphic Communications$50,833 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $27,481

    4 years after completion$50,833
    National median: $43,283Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $41,838 · Non-Pell: $54,119(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $31,125 · 169 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college14 to 1
14 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 58% of 1,892More students per faculty →

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Full-time faculty16%
National median: 67%Below typical
Average faculty salary

$75,933

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other for-profit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$14,838
$14,838
← Lessmore than 95% of 130More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)