Academy of Art vs NorthWestern

Academy of Art University and Northwestern University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand apart in their unique offerings and student experiences. Academy of Art University, a private art and design school in San Francisco, boasts a diverse student body and an acceptance rate of 100%, welcoming aspiring artists and designers from all backgrounds. Northwestern University, a prestigious private research university in Evanston, Illinois, offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with an acceptance rate of 9%, attracting high-achieving students from across the globe. While both universities provide excellent education, their distinct characteristics, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates may influence your choice. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Academy of Art University	Northwestern University
Overview
Location	San Francisco, California	Evanston, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	99.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	7.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $95
SAT range	N/A	1470 - 1570
ACT range	N/A	34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		43.0%
Students submitting ACT score		39.0%
Total number of applicants		47,636
Total number of admissions given out		3,321
Admitted students who chose to enroll		2,086
Yield rate		62.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Not 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	$83,838
Average net price	$32,593	$29,999
Tuition	$24,624	$60,276
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $12,944 Meal plan: $6,542	Room/dormitory: $11,271 Meal plan: $6,993
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	80.0% Average amount $9,848	57.0% Average amount $51,087
Students receiving federal student loan	54.0% Average amount $5,958	23.0% Average amount $4,625
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $31,298	2.0% Average amount $38,595

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,363 Men 43.4% Women 56.6%	8,847 Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
Graduate students	2,442 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	14,562 Men 47.3% Women 52.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	65.9%	N/A
International students	24.2%	17.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,280	4,409
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas New York Florida Washington	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Engineering Technologies Communications Technology Family and Consumer Sciences	Business Communication and Journalism Engineering Health Professions Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	38.0%	95.2%
Dropout rate	36.0%	4.2%
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	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $150,242 Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $221,242 Business/Commerce, General (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $188,472 Year 3: $216,176 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $187,194 Year 2: $170,971 Year 3: $206,288 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $120,709 Year 2: $189,565 Year 3: $194,961 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $162,478 Year 2: $163,561 Year 3: $177,652 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $111,200 Year 2: $157,779 Year 3: $159,304 Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $140,321 Year 2: $141,586 Year 3: $154,556 Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,288 Year 2: $118,465 Year 3: $132,325 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $118,780 Year 2: $111,323 Year 3: $130,124 Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $115,760 Year 2: $113,668 Year 3: $128,046

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Academy of Art vs NorthWestern

Academy of Art University

Northwestern University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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