School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois · Private, nonprofit
Graduate earnings
has graduates earning more than a typical Illinois high-school graduate (about $36,082 a year).
1 of 4 undergraduate programs could be assessed. The other 3 have no earnings published. The 16 graduate programs are in the table.
Average net price, all families$49,790 a year By family income
What it would cost
Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, as reported for students who received federal aid.
Average for all families
$49,790 a year
About $199,160 over 4 years, if price and aid stay the same.
This multiplies the reported yearly net price by the years you choose. It is not a quote or a prediction: it leaves out interest, price rises and the chance of taking longer to finish.
Net price for every income band
| Family income | Net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $43,798 |
| $30k to $48k | $39,845 |
| $48k to $75k | $46,708 |
| $75k to $110k | $49,595 |
| $110k and up | $55,790 |
| All families (average) | $49,790 |
College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Bands with no figure were not reported by the school.
Program earnings
Median earnings of each program’s graduates against a typical Illinois high-school graduate ($36,082 a year).
6 of 20 programs could be assessed 30% have an earnings verdict
| Program | Degree | Median earnings | vs a high-school grad | Verdict | Median debt | Debt as years of gain | Recent completers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $45,602 | +$9,520 | clears the bar | $27,000 | 2.8 yrs | 581 |
| Fine Arts | Master's Degree | $47,355 | +$11,273 | above HS line | $69,783 | 6.2 yrs | 166 |
| Teacher Education (by subject) | Master's Degree | $52,952 | +$16,870 | above HS line | $50,834 | 3.0 yrs | 23 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Master's Degree | $42,100 | +$6,018 | above HS line | $62,718 | 10.4 yrs | 20 |
| Physical and Occupational Therapy | Master's Degree | $58,809 | +$22,727 | above HS line | $69,198 | 3.0 yrs | 20 |
| Architecture | Master's Degree | $74,629 | +$38,547 | above HS line | not published | not assessed | not published |
| Design | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 22 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 17 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 13 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 11 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 9 |
| Fine Arts | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 9 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 6 |
| Journalism | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Design | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | Graduate/Professional Certificate | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Interior Architecture | Bachelor's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Interior Architecture | Master's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Design | Post-baccalaureate Certificate | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Fine Arts | Post-baccalaureate Certificate | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Sources and definitions
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid. Debt is federal loans only.
- The high-school line is ED’s state benchmark, $36,082 a year.
- Earnings not published: ED reports the program but no earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were measured. Nothing reported: ED lists the program with no figures at all. Neither is a judgement of the program.
- Debt as years of gain is median federal debt divided by how much more graduates earn per year than a typical high-school graduate. It is not a repayment time.
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