School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
School of the Art Institute of Chicago admitted 77.5% of applicants university-wide (5,133 of 6,626).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 77.5% | 5,133 | 6,626 |
| Men | 72.5% | 995 | 1,373 |
| Women | 78.8% | 4,125 | 5,235 |
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 15) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 5,133 admitted students, 604 enrolled (11.8% yield).
School of the Art Institute of Chicago U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.40–3.40
Testing policy: Test-blind (scores not considered)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $75,625/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $56,420 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $21,430 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $75,625/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $43,798 |
| $30k–48k | $39,845 |
| $48k–75k | $46,708 |
| $75k–110k | $49,595 |
| Over $110k | $55,790 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Trustee Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Trustee)
- SAIC Merit Scholarship — Up to $18,000 per year (Merit)
- Recognition Scholarship — $2,000 per year (Merit)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
- SAIC Need-Based Grant — Varies (Need Based)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Trustee Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Trustee)
- SAIC Merit Scholarship — Up to $18,000 per year (Merit)
- Recognition Scholarship — $2,000 per year (Merit)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
Application requirements
US applicants
- Common Application
- Portfolio
- Artist's Statement
- High School Transcript
- Letter of Recommendation
- Application fee
International applicants
- Common Application
- Portfolio
- Artist's Statement
- High School Transcript
- Letter of Recommendation
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
School of the Art Institute of Chicago requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $40,151
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 67%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 84%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $27,000
- At graduation
School of the Art Institute of Chicago · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Visual & performing arts (98%), English (2%).
Student–faculty ratio: 11:1.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.