+55%
Median federal debt at exit
Median federal debt at exit at Academy of Art University rose 55% between 2007 and 2010 ($6.1k → $9.5k).
California · Private for-profit · Predominantly bachelor's
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California. 4,131 undergraduate students. 68 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.
ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS
What the data flags at Academy of Art University
Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.
-44%
Undergraduate enrollment
Undergraduate enrollment fell 44% at Academy of Art University vs the 2004–2008 baseline (4.1k vs 7.4k).
+21%
In-state tuition
In-state tuition at Academy of Art University rose 21% between 2021 and 2024 ($25.4k → $30.7k).
+21%
Out-of-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition at Academy of Art University rose 21% between 2021 and 2024 ($25.4k → $30.7k).
SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT
The numbers, vs. California
Each tile compares this institution to the California median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.
$39,008+28% · 6→10y
California median $42,588$30,452
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry40.5%+28% · '97→'24
California median 61.3%$11,000+43% · '97→'10
At program completion4,131+422% · '96→'10
latest IPEDS67.3%+24% · '04→'24
first-time, full-time—
latest cohort$28,024+155% · '00→'24
out-of-state $28,024SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS
How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry
Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS
What loans cost relative to earnings
Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.
Institution-wide
3.8%Median federal debt $11,000 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $39,008 (10y after entry).
SECTION 04 · LONG ARC
Ten-plus year arc
Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.
Undergraduate enrollment.
150%-time completion rate.
Median federal student debt at exit.
+28%
Academy of Art University · completion · 150% rose
26.8% → 34.3%
-77%
Academy of Art University · completion · 100% fell
26.2% → 6.1%
+24%
Academy of Art University · retention rose
61.0% → 75.4%
+422%
Academy of Art University · undergrad enrollment rose
2,244 → 11,711
+155%
Academy of Art University · in-state tuition rose
$12,060 → $30,736
+155%
Academy of Art University · out-of-state tuition rose
$12,060 → $30,736
+43%
Academy of Art University · median debt rose
$6,625 → $9,500
-100%
Academy of Art University · cohort default rate fell
11.1% → 0.0%
+65%
Academy of Art University · pell share rose
24.9% → 41.0%
SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS
Ranked by 5-year earnings
Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.
Computer Software and Media Applications.$115,316Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.$86,405Computer Software and Media Applications.$78,524Architecture.$76,223Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.$75,583Graphic Communications.$67,772Music.$62,287Design and Applied Arts.$58,596Design and Applied Arts.$57,948Communication and Media Studies.$55,742Graphic Communications.$54,175Film/Video and Photographic Arts.$53,584Design and Applied Arts.$43,707Fine and Studio Arts.$40,069Visual and Performing Arts, General.$39,532Film/Video and Photographic Arts.$39,174Music.$38,890Film/Video and Photographic Arts.$36,174Fine and Studio Arts.$33,830Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.$19,276
SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY
20 programs with earnings, grouped
Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES · CIP 10
COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCES · CIP 11
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS · CIP 50
Film/Video and Photographic Arts.$39,174Design and Applied Arts.$57,948Design and Applied Arts.$58,596Film/Video and Photographic Arts.$53,584Fine and Studio Arts.$40,069Visual and Performing Arts, General.$39,532Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.$19,276Fine and Studio Arts.$33,830Film/Video and Photographic Arts.$36,174Music.$62,287Design and Applied Arts.$43,707Music.$38,890
ARCHITECTURE · CIP 04
SECTION 07 · SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
Same sector and degree mix in California
Picked by Carnegie sector × predominant credential level. These are not rankings — just nearest-neighbour surfaces for comparison.
CAUSAL DISCIPLINE
“Academy of Art University graduates earn $X” — not “Academy of Art University makes you earn $X”
Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Academy of Art University caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.