Art Center College of Design

Pasadena, CA · WestQuad's selectivitySelective

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

7 in 10 applicants admitted

Art Center College of Design admits about 7 in 10 applicants (75%). That puts it in the "Selective" tier, more selective than 55% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

75%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivitySelective

Applied

1,461

Admitted

1,089

Yield

31%

of admits enroll

Applications +174% since fall 2014 · admit rate 81% → 75%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 2,017 undergrads, where 22% receive Pell Grants, a low share compared to other colleges.

undergrads · larger than 57% of colleges

Diversity index

0.69

Pell Grant

22%

below the median

First generation

24%

below the median

Midsize cityNo college housingStudy abroad

Less diverse · index 0.75 → 0.69 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Illustration (28% of graduates). 9 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 84% of colleges. 19% of faculty are full-time. Spends $26,617 a year on instruction per student.

9 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 84% of colleges

What it costs

What students pay, price by family income, debt, and who gets grants.

$53.3K

net price per year for first-years with grants

Full price: $75,649 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid: 26% · avg $12K; of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)

Federal loans

33%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $71,958 ten years after enrolling, more than at 85% of colleges; 78% graduate within six years.

78%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$72K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$31K

≈ $329/month for 10 years

Retention

86%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 67% → 79% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Applications rose 174% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 81% to 75%.

Applications
Growing
+174%
Selectivity
More selective
admit rate 81% → 75%
Diversity
Less diverse
index 0.75 → 0.69

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

Ringling College of Art and Design

70% admit · 1.7K undergrads

Similar sizeAlso private

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Lynn University

73% admit · SAT 1120 · 2.9K undergrads

Similar selectivityAlso private

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Westmont College

77% admit · SAT 1345 · 1.3K undergrads

Similar selectivityAlso WestAlso private

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Concordia University-Irvine

66% admit · 1.5K undergrads

Similar sizeAlso WestAlso private

Compare side-by-side

Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
Art Center College of Design (2026)
Art Center College of Design · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 109651 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything