PAFA vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Should I go to Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts or Pennsylvania College of Art and Design? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PAFA or Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design comparison
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Pennsylvania College of Art and Design College 3 College 4
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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Overview

 PAFA Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Location Philadelphia, PA Lancaster, PA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 172 245
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pafa.org pcad.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PAFA Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Tuition (In State) $40,500 $27,750
Tuition (Out of State) $40,500 $27,750
Room & Board $17,512 $11,665
Avg Net Price $48,191 $26,649
Avg Grant Aid $16,087 $13,038
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 100%

Admission

 PAFA Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 183 562
Admitted 167 249
Acceptance Rate 91.3% 44.3%
Enrolled % 11.4% 26.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.13
Typical High School Grades - B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2024

Academics

 PAFA Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

 PAFA Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Graduation Rate 73% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $22,000 $28,700
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $274 $279

Diversity

 PAFA Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
% Men 31% 28%
% Women 69% 72%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 73%
% Black 5% 7%
% Hispanic 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 6% 0%
% Unknown Race 7% 7%

Students

 PAFA Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
% In-State 53% 59%
% Out-of-State 42% 41%

Campus

 PAFA Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (245 students vs. 172 students)

PAFA vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PAFA or Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?

  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is 45.9% more expensive to attend than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design for in-state tuition ($40,500.00 vs. $27,750.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.9% higher at PAFA than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design ($40,500.00 vs. $27,750.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design than PAFA ($26,649 vs. $48,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design are 50.1% lower than costs at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($11,665 vs. $17,512)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (100% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students is 23.4% larger than aid received Pennsylvania College of Art and Design ($16,087 vs. $13,038)

PAFA vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, PAFA or Pennsylvania College of Art and Design? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Pennsylvania College of Art and Design or PAFA .

  • PAFA has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (44.3%)

PAFA vs. Pennsylvania College of Art and Design Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PAFA or Pennsylvania College of Art and Design? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and PAFA.

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (73% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design earn on average $6,700 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($28,700 vs. $22,000)
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates. ($26,500 vs. $27,000)
  • PAFA graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduates. ($274 vs. $279)
  • More PAFA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pennsylvania College of Art and Design students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 58%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/