College is expensive; even the 11 Most Affordable Art Schools in America will tell you that. Most people know that, if they want a good education, unless they’re extremely poor or extremely smart, they’ll be paying off those student loans for years. (Thank goodness for payment plans.)
But some universities aren’t as expensive as you might think. Even Ivy League colleges can prove somewhat reasonable as is demonstrated in the 7 Most Affordable Ivy League Schools in the US.
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But for those students desiring to pursue the art industry specifically, they might want to refer to this list. We consulted the US News Top Fine Art Schools list and from their Top 50, ranked the most affordable. So you can thank us because, though we listed affordable schools, we didn’t give you trashy ones, either. You’re sure to be well educated in a wide variety of art fields at any of the schools below. And we listed them from most to least expensive.
But there are a few points to keep in mind. First, we only ranked the schools that were specifically art schools. Though we know that many universities have art programs, unless they included the words “Art” or “Design” in their school name, we didn’t rank them. Also, we all know how institutions have a way of racking up expenses, and some of those aren’t even included under their “Tuition & Fees” section on the website. So every number we provide should be looked at as a rough estimate. Tuition and Fees for schools often change (most often grow) every year or even semester. These prices are what’s estimated for the 2015-2016 full year (spring and fall).
The estimates below are based on tuition and fees for a full-time undergraduate student in their first year (meaning that listed orientation and entrance fees are also included). We assume that this student will live on campus, so also include room, board and food prices listed. We also assumed the student was in state or domestic. For instance, some schools charge a higher fee for out of state or out of country students. We didn’t account for that. One more thing to remember is health insurance. Students who don’t have it must pay the school’s price for it. For students who do, the fee is waived with proof of insurance.
With all that in mind, here is an estimated list of the 11 Most Affordable Art Schools in America. Though they’re all roughly in the same price range, a few thousand dollars extra can certainly add up year after year.
11. Savannah College of Art & Design – Savannah & Atlanta, GA, Hong Kong & Lacoste, France – $45,620.
No wonder this one’s the most expensive on the list. Not only is it private, but it’s nonprofit. It’s also known for its picturesque campus, especially at the headquarters in Savannah, GA.
10. California Institute of the Arts – Valencia, CA – $45,030.
Otherwise known as CalArts, this is also a private institution. Fun fact? In 1961, it was introduced as the first visual and performing arts school to grant degrees.
9. School of the Art Institute of Chicago – $43,935.
This campus is located in the Loop in Chicago and is also associated with a museum which holds the same name.
8. New School (Parson’s School of Design) – New York City, NY – $43,926.
(The price above is for a Parsons AAS, BBA, BFA or BS degree.) If you have a desire to go into fashion design, you might want to select this school. They educated some of the top designers like the founder of DKNY, Marc Jacobs, Jason Wu, Isaac Mizrahi and Alexander Wang.
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7. Otis College of Art & Design – Los Angeles, CA – $42,314.
In 1918 upon its establishment, this institution became the first independent professional school of art in its city.
6. San Francisco Art Institute – $41,322.
Also, a private nonprofit, SFAI is officially the oldest art institute west of the Mississippi.
5. Mass College of Art & Design – Boston, MA – $40,125.
Students are singing Mass Art’s praises all over the internet. “Huge variety of classes mostly taught by terrific professors. As an artist, you’ll want to try everything, so you may end up attending for 7 years instead of 4. A relaxed, casual atmosphere where you even call the President by her first name,” one former student claims of this particularly quality college of the 11 Most Affordable Art Schools in America.
4. Minneapolis College of Art & Design – $40,076.
MCAD offers undergrad, Bachelor, and Master degrees. They specialize in visual art and are even one of the few schools in the country to offer a major in comic art.
3. Art Center of College & Design – Pasadena, CA – $39,530.
This college features its own design exhibition and not only caters to college students, but children, high school students and adults with their public programs. It spans two aesthetically pleasing campuses, both located in Pasadena.
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2. Cranbrook Academy of Art – Bloomfield Hills, MI – $35,886.
This school, located near Detroit, is also a National Historical Landmark. It’s named after Cranbrook, England, where the founder’s father was born.
1. School of Visual Arts – New York City, NY – $35,000.
(Not including additional department fees ranging from $600 to $1,300 per department.)
This school first began in 1947 as a Cartoonists and Illustrators School. In 1956, the institute expanded their degree programs and adopted a new name as a result.
Runners up include the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Maryland Institute College of Art, Rhode Island School of Design and the California College of Arts.
And there you have it! Middle-class students can now rejoice in discovering the 11 Most Affordable Art Schools in America.
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