Specialized school
#3 Colleges where Pell Grant students thrive in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania College of Art and Design
Lancaster, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $30,083 a year
Median debt at graduation: $27,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
In Pennsylvania
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.85%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,279
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $43,815 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 323 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 32% · Women 69% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 29% |
| Total students | 323 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $30,083 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $43,815 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 69% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 52% |
| First-year retention | 85% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $33,301 |
| Admission rate | 99% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | No application fee |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 47% |
Value: Solid (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Design |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Film and video, Fine arts.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Visual and performing arts |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 4% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 7% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $17,230 |
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 24%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $9,829Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 57% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Lancaster Airport (LNS)About 6 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 57,7192020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BaltimoreAbout 54 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 31°F1991–2020 normal, from LANCASTER 2NE FLTR PLT, PA US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 76°F1991–2020 normal, from LANCASTER 2NE FLTR PLT, PA US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Pennsylvania College of Art and Design’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 40% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Pennsylvania College of Art and Design cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $30,083 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?
- Pennsylvania College of Art and Design admitted 99% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Pennsylvania College of Art and Design’s graduates do?
- 69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $33,301; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 215053
- Carnegie classification: Special focus: arts, music & design
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education; National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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