Academy of Art vs FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles

Academy of Art University and FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles are two renowned institutions offering specialized education in art and design. While both universities share a commitment to creative excellence, they differ in several key aspects. Academy of Art University boasts a significantly higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring artists. FIDM, on the other hand, has a more selective admissions process, resulting in a smaller and more competitive student body. In terms of popular majors, Academy of Art University offers a wider range of programs, including fine arts, animation, and architecture, while FIDM specializes primarily in fashion design and merchandising. Additionally, the student body demographics and graduation rates vary between the two institutions, reflecting their unique strengths and emphases. To help you make an informed decision about your education, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences in greater detail. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and aspirations.

	Academy of Art University	FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles
Overview
Location	San Francisco, California	Los Angeles, California
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Private (For Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	89.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	36.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants		1,490
Total number of admissions given out		536
Admitted students who chose to enroll		292
Yield rate		54.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$48,772	$56,368
Average net price	$32,593	$41,070
Tuition	$24,624	$31,275
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $12,944 Meal plan: $6,542
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	80.0% Average amount $9,848	78.0% Average amount $11,045
Students receiving federal student loan	54.0% Average amount $5,958	53.0% Average amount $5,615
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $31,298	4.0% Average amount $24,758

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,363 Men 43.4% Women 56.6%	1,724 Men 17.5% Women 82.5%
Graduate students	2,442 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	40 Men 10.0% Women 90.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	65.9%	45.8%
International students	24.2%	15.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,280	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas New York Florida Washington	California Texas Arizona Washington Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Engineering Technologies Communications Technology Family and Consumer Sciences	Business Visual & Performing Arts Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	38.0%	73.8%
Dropout rate	36.0%	24.8%
Transferred out	20.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,653 Year 2: $88,417 Year 3: $69,026 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,077 Year 3: $63,589 Architecture (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $61,681 Computer Software and Media Applications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,476 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $54,958 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $49,833 Design and Applied Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,701 Year 2: $45,340 Year 3: $47,730 Graphic Communications (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,420 Year 3: $42,284 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,132 Year 3: $40,098 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,222 Year 2: $33,809 Year 3: $37,527 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,942 Year 3: $35,817	Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,481 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $44,494 Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $30,281 Year 2: $31,920 Year 3: $40,330 Design and Applied Arts (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $25,542 Year 2: $27,478 Year 3: $32,523 Apparel and Textiles (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,239 Year 2: $30,988 Year 3: $31,406 Apparel and Textiles (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,078 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,424 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,169 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: N/A Marketing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $28,231 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,288 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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Academy of Art vs FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles

Academy of Art University

FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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