Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #1385 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $38,846, placing Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in the 1.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #1385 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting strengths in mobility and median earnings four years after enrollment. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $38,846, placing the institution in the 1.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. ---
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a private nonprofit institution in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, focused on visual and performing arts education. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #1385 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. The college enrolls approximately 400 undergraduates, with a 85.1% freshman retention rate and a 68.5% six-year graduation rate. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #1375 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $38,846, reflecting outcomes tied to the institution's concentration in Visual & Performing Arts. The college's program portfolio centers on creative disciplines where career trajectories and earnings vary significantly by specialization and individual talent, market demand, and geographic placement after graduation. Access and affordability shape the institution's composite position. 47.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design sits in the 24.6 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The college sits in the 13.3 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility outcomes, reflecting how well graduates convert their education into sustained career progress, place Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in the 61.5 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. For students committed to arts-focused careers and willing to invest in specialized creative training, the college offers a focused educational pathway aligned with their professional goals.
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design's published cost of attendance is $43,815. Net price by income band shows how financial aid reshapes that headline figure: low-income families pay approximately $24,547, middle-income families pay around $26,576, and higher-income families pay approximately $37,851. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #1236 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA. The college's aid structure combines need-based scholarships with institutional funding to narrow the gap between sticker price and what families pay. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $27,456; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $38,846, median federal debt of $27,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $305 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is a strong fit for students drawn to visual and performing arts who want a private nonprofit college experience in Lancaster, PA. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $38,846, placing Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in the 1.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #1375 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid structure is need-based. Published cost of attendance is $37,851, and median federal student loan debt is $27,000. For admitted Pell-eligible students — 47.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants — that structure can meaningfully close the gap between published cost and what families actually pay. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the 99.2% admit rate makes the application process selective, and the program mix favors visual and performing arts fields — Visual & Performing Arts represents 100% of degrees. Students whose interests align with those areas and who can navigate the application process will find a focused arts education in Lancaster.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Pennsylvania College Of Art And Design hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Design and Applied Arts
30 graduates
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design's program mix is anchored in visual and performing arts — a portfolio shaped by the institution's specialized identity as a studio-focused art and design college. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 30 graduates, followed by Fine and Studio Arts and Film/Video and Photographic Arts.
Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 44 students annually, the institution concentrates its offerings in creative fields where four-year earnings reflect direct entry into creative industries and freelance pathways. Design and Applied Arts carries the institution's strongest earnings outcome, with graduates earning median four-year earnings of $38,275 [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).
The 30-graduate cohort in this field demonstrates that specialized art and design training can lead to competitive early-career compensation. Design and Applied Arts, the largest program by enrollment, generates median four-year earnings of $38,275, anchoring the institution's overall earnings profile and reflecting outcomes for graduates entering design, illustration, and creative-industry roles.
The concentration in Visual & Performing Arts reflects Pennsylvania College of Art and Design's positioning as a specialized creative institution in a regional market. Graduates in these fields typically enter high-mobility creative careers — freelance design, studio practice, digital media, advertising, and arts administration — where four-year earnings capture early-career outcomes in competitive creative labor markets.
The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how creative-field pathways align with national labor-market trends and emerging demand in digital and experience design.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design's published cost of attendance is $43,815. Net price by income band shows how financial aid reshapes that headline figure: low-income families pay approximately $24,547, middle-income families pay around $26,576, and higher-income families pay approximately $37,851.
Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #1236 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA.
The college's aid structure combines need-based scholarships with institutional funding to narrow the gap between sticker price and what families pay. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $27,456; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $38,846, median federal debt of $27,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $305 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Pennsylvania College of Art and Design earn median 4-year earnings of $38,846, placing the institution in the 1.2 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania College of Art and Design #1375 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
These outcomes reflect the institution's focus on Visual & Performing Arts, a field where career trajectories are shaped by portfolio strength, professional networks, and regional labor-market demand rather than broad employer hiring pipelines typical of larger institutions. The earnings pattern centers on visual and performing arts disciplines.
Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 30 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $38,275, while Fine and Studio Arts and Film/Video and Photographic Arts round out the core program portfolio. As a specialized institution in PA, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates into a concentrated field where outcomes depend heavily on individual talent, portfolio development, and post-graduation hustle rather than institutional scale or employer recruitment breadth.
The median earnings figures reflect typical early-career trajectories for arts graduates, many of whom pursue freelance, entrepreneurial, or portfolio-based career paths that may show steeper growth curves beyond the four-year window than traditional salary-track fields.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sum Bible College And Theological Seminary Similar quality tier (#36172 ranked) | CA | 41% | $35,418 | #36172 | Compare |
Mcmurry University Similar quality tier (#36171 ranked) | TX | 57% | $48,779 | #36171 | Compare |
Hendrix College Similar quality tier (#36174 ranked) | AR | 56% | $60,376 | #36174 | Compare |
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz Similar quality tier in Northeast (#36170 ranked) | NY | 87% | $35,023 | #36170 | Compare |
Colby-Sawyer College Similar quality tier in Northeast (#36175 ranked) | NH | 80% | $46,474 | #36175 | Compare |
