SMFA vs. MCLA

Should I go to School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston or Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SMFA or MCLA 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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School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston vs. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts comparison
School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts College 3 College 4
School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
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Overview

SMFA MCLA
Location Boston, MA North Adams, MA
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 492 938
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smfa.edu mcla.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SMFA MCLA
Tuition (In State) $39,928 $1,030
Tuition (Out of State) $39,928 $9,975
Room & Board $14,850 $13,632
Avg Net Price $39,340 $15,377
Avg Grant Aid $15,629 $9,044
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

SMFA MCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 318 1,456
Admitted 258 1,346
Acceptance Rate 81.1% 92.4%
Enrolled % 15.5% 13.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.2
Typical High School Grades - B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/21
SAT Range 960/1180
Submit Test Scores Neither required nor recommended Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

SMFA MCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 0:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)
  • English and Literature (20%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

SMFA MCLA
Graduation Rate 55% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,300 $37,100
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $24,659
Median Loan Payment $268 $254

Diversity

SMFA MCLA
% Men 0% 42%
% Women 0% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 49% 74%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 14% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 12% 0%
% Unknown Race 15% 4%

Students

SMFA MCLA
% In-State - 55%
% Out-of-State - 45%

Campus

SMFA MCLA
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is larger than than SMFA based on total student enrollment (938 students vs. 492 students)

SMFA vs. MCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SMFA or MCLA?

  • School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is 3,776.5% more expensive to attend than MCLA for in-state tuition ($39,928.00 vs. $1,030.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 300.3% higher at SMFA than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($39,928.00 vs. $9,975.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts than SMFA ($15,377 vs. $39,340)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts are 8.9% lower than costs at School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston ($13,632 vs. $14,850)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston as Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston students is 72.8% larger than aid received Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($15,629 vs. $9,044)

SMFA vs. MCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SMFA or MCLA? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between MCLA or SMFA .

  • MCLA has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than SMFA (81.1%)

SMFA vs. MCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SMFA or MCLA? 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 MCLA and SMFA.

  • The graduation rate at SMFA is higher than Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (55% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts earn on average $2,800 more per year than SMFA graduates after ten years. ($37,100 vs. $34,300)
  • Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students graduate with a $1,341 lower median federal student loan debt than SMFA graduates. ($24,659 vs. $26,000)
  • MCLA graduates are paying $14 less per month on federal student loans than SMFA graduates. ($254 vs. $268)
  • More MCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMFA students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 62%)

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