Art Center College of Design

Art Center College of Design is a private nonprofit college in Pasadena, CA. Its average net price is $48,389 a year - and the price families actually pay swings a lot by income, as the receipt below shows.

Compare This College

Money

Tuition and room and board for the 2025-26 academic year

Average Net Price by Family Income

Family IncomeAverage Net Price
$0 to $30,000$43,579
$30,001 to $48,000$40,452
$48,001 to $75,000$43,601
$75,001 to $110,000$43,513
$110,001 and up$56,996
$56,308Tuition 2025-26, In-State
$56,308Tuition 2025-26, Out-of-State
$48,389Average Net Price
$20,224Room and Board 2025-26, Off-Campus
$4,000Books and Supplies
24.5%Students on Pell Grants
31.7%Students With Federal Loans

Admissions

74.5%Acceptance Rate
Not publishedSAT Reading, Middle Half
Not publishedSAT Math, Middle Half
Not publishedACT, Middle Half

Outcomes

HorizonMedian Earnings
6 years after entry$51,140
8 years after entry$71,365
10 years after entry$75,975
80.9%Graduation Rate
85.9%Retention Rate
$27,651Median Debt at Graduation

Campus Facts

Pasadena, CALocation
Midsize citySetting
2,017Undergraduate Enrollment
Private nonprofitControl

Programs and What They Pay

Each figure prints the sample size behind it. A college figure appears only when at least 30 graduates sit behind it; smaller programs show the national median for the major instead. Read Why We Show Sample Sizes.

MajorMedian EarningsMedian Debt
Architectural Sciences and Technology$58,941 National median for this major n=2,238Not published
Computer Software and Media Applications$48,533 National median for this major n=3,677Not published
Design and Applied Arts$45,205 n=215$27,625 n=213
Engineering-Related Fields$73,960 National median for this major n=1,712Not published
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$31,110 National median for this major n=12,988$30,250 Small program - rough guide n=45
Graphic Communications$48,298 Small program - rough guide n=34$29,875 Small program - rough guide n=56
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians$70,230 National median for this major n=3,256Not published
Studio Art$31,108 National median for this major n=25,748Not published

Explore Further

All Colleges in California Architectural Sciences and Technology Computer Software and Media Applications Design and Applied Arts Engineering-Related Fields Film/Video and Photographic Arts Graphic Communications Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians Studio Art