Admit rate has ranged 27%–100% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
The Art Academy of Cincinnati is a fiercely independent, no-nonsense art school where students dive headfirst into studio practice from day one. With a 34% acceptance rate and an intimate 11:1 student-faculty ratio, this 1869-founded institution churns out working artists—75% of grads stay in creative fields, triple the national average—through its unapologetically hands-on BFA programs in everything from experimental animation to old-school printmaking.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
205
In-state tuition
$41,375
Out-of-state tuition
$41,375
Founded
1869
Acceptance Rate
34%
Average Aid Package
$19,460
Art Career Placement
75%
Student-Faculty Ratio
11:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
44%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$34,368
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
1.0×
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
41%
First-year retention
51%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
51%
Pell (lower-income) share
55%
First-generation share
31%
Endowment / student
$11,461
Financial health
2.6 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Fine and Studio Arts$24,201
Design and Applied Arts$20,140
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
85
Summer high
84°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
44.8"
Annual snow
14.3"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
36
Scholarly works
220
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Art Academy of Cincinnati?
Art Academy of Cincinnati's acceptance rate is approximately 34% (Cincinnati, OH), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does Art Academy of Cincinnati cost?
At Art Academy of Cincinnati, the average net price (after aid) is about $34,253 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Art Academy of Cincinnati?
Art Academy of Cincinnati enrolls approximately 205 undergraduate students.
Where is Art Academy of Cincinnati located?
Art Academy of Cincinnati is located in Cincinnati, OH.
Admissions
Getting into the Art Academy of Cincinnati isn't a cakewalk—with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. fluctuating between 32-34.5% across sources, it's more selective than many regional art schools. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 12-24 on the ACT, with SAT ranges reported between 880-1070 (though test scores appear to play a secondary role to portfolio reviews). Notably, female applicants have a significantly higher acceptance rate (40%) than male applicants (18%). The school accepts the Common Application, with a May 1 deadline for Cincinnati residents.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Academics
This is a school where paint-stained jeans are the uniform and critiques are the lingua franca. The AAC offers BFAs in eight studio-focused majors:
Design (with digital arts/animation and illustration tracks)
Fine Arts (painting/drawing, photography, print media, sculpture)
Creative Writing (a rare find in art schools)
Faculty earn praise for treating students as fellow artists rather than subordinates—a Reddit review notes "most faculty are super nice and respectful...I never felt talked down to." The curriculum is NAAB/NASAD accredited, with all resources funneled into undergraduate studio practice (the lone graduate program is a low-residency MAAE for working art educators).
Life at AAC orbits around the studios, with student-organized events like open mic nights and Halloween parties providing creative pressure valves. The Instagram feed reveals a campus pulsing with activity—artist talks, poetry slams, and an annual student exhibition that turns the school into a gallery. While there are no dorms or Greek life, the urban Over-the-Rhine location places students amid Cincinnati's arts district, with the school calling its campus a "cultural cornerstone" for the city. This isn't a place for rah-rah school spirit; the vibe is more late-night studio sessions fueled by vending machine snacks.
Here's the brass tacks: 44% graduate within six years (below national averages), but 75% of those who do land in art-related jobs—smashing the 27% national average for art school grads. Early-career earnings hover around $26k (lagging behind peers), reflecting the freelance-heavy nature of creative fields. The numbers tell a clear story: AAC prepares students to be artists rather than just study art, with 100% of students completing internships or professional projects before graduation. It's a trade-off—lower earnings potential for higher creative fulfillment.
The sticker price isn't for the faint of heart—after aid, the Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. sits around $29k for federal loan recipients, with families earning under $30k paying roughly $26.5k. Nearly all students receive some aid, with average packages totaling $19.5k through a mix of merit scholarships (like the $12k Trustee Award) and need-based grants. The April 1 financial aid deadline comes early, so prospective students should plan ahead. While not cheap, the school delivers value where it counts: tiny classes and direct access to working artist faculty.
The AAC is that rare art school that hasn't diluted its mission with generic liberal arts programs or bloated administrative layers. What you get instead: a scrappy, no-distractions focus on turning raw talent into professional practice. The proof? Alumni stick with art careers at nearly three times the national rate. With faculty who treat students as peers and a location in Cincinnati's arts epicenter, it's a choose-your-own-adventure art education—one where every critique session and midnight studio marathon prepares you for the real grind of being an artist.
Art Academy of Cincinnati logo · sourceCollege of Art and Design Since 1869 - Art Academy of Cincinnati · sourceArt Academy of Cincinnati - Wikipedia · sourceArt Academy of Cincinnati - AICAD · source
