Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Acceptance rate
99.2%
2025
Peer median 61.3%
Tuition per year
$32,150
$49,380 with room and board
Peer median $40,478
Undergraduates
414
Student-faculty ratio 10:1
Peer median 9 : 1
Graduation rate
60.0%
4-year; 6-year rate 60.0%
Peer median 52.9%
“Peers” are all 51 private art, music and design schools in the U.S. (by Carnegie Classification).
About
- Type
- Private nonprofit, 4-year
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Website
- pcad.edu
- Undergraduates
- 414
- Student-faculty ratio
- 10 : 1
This collegeRanked colleges nearby
- Setting
- Small city
- Nearest major city
- In Lancaster
- Nearest international airport
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), about 60 mi
- Academic calendar
- Semester
- Religious affiliation
- Not applicable
- President
- Andrew W. Barnes (President)
- Phone
- 8006890379
- City
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Address
- 204 N Prince St, Lancaster, PA 17603-0059
Rankings & Admission
Peer median 61.3% · all 51 private art, music and design schools in the U.S.
Acceptance rate by gender, 2025
In 2020: men 37.0%, women 45.6%.
Test Scores
SAT/ACT not considered, even if submitted IPEDS (US Department of Education) has no recent SAT/ACT data for admitted students here. GPA, course rigor, essays and activities matter more.
How Hard Is It to Get In
about 10 in 10
397 applicants in 2025, 99.2% admitted
394 admitted 3 not admitted Yield 32.5%
Degrees & Majors
Graduates in 2025 (first major)
U.S. studentsInternational
All majors, graduates and earnings IPEDS · College Scorecard
*Depends on whether majors have graduates in 2025 or not, Yes / No
**Move mouse on can check deitaled graudates number, click for major detailed information
***Due to privacy policy, graduate salaries are not shown for some majors that has few gradautes
| Major | Graduate Salary | Associate | Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Design. | $25,926 | ||
| Illustration. | $25,926 | ||
| Game and Interactive Media Design. | $25,926 | ||
| Design and Applied Arts, Other. | $25,926 | ||
| Photography. | - | ||
| Fine/Studio Arts, General. | - |
Students
414 students in 2025 · Undergraduate men to women 31:69 · Freshman retention 85.1%
- Continuing undergraduates 214
- First-year undergraduates 126
- Transfers and others 74
Undergraduate race and ethnicity (414)
Age distribution
Bachelor's
International Students
International share over the last 10 years · gray line: median of all 51 private art, music and design schools in the U.S.
1 in 2025 · 0.0% in 2016
Cost
2025 cost per year
$49,380
- Undergraduate tuition
- $32,150
- Room and board
- $17,230
Peer median tuition + room and board $58,844 · all 51 private art, music and design schools in the U.S.
Tuition rose 41% from 2016 to 2025; room and board rose 79%.
Finances · fiscal year 2024
Revenue$11.1M
Expenses$11.7M
Average faculty salary · 2025 (9-month equivalent)
Dark gray ticks: median pay for the same rank at all 51 private art, music and design schools in the U.S.
Campus Life
Athletics and varsity athletes NCAA · EADA
No athlete data available for 2025.
No athlete data available for 2024.
No athlete data available for 2023.
Nearby & Safety
Ranked colleges nearby
-
Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster · 0.7 mi
Liberal Arts #34
-
Dickinson CollegeCarlisle · 48.3 mi
Liberal Arts #54
-
Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg · 51.2 mi
Liberal Arts #54
-
Villanova UniversityVillanova · 51.2 mi
U.S. News #42
-
Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore · 51.4 mi
Liberal Arts #3
-
Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore · 51.9 mi
U.S. News #9
-
Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr · 52.7 mi
Liberal Arts #31
-
Haverford CollegeHaverford · 53.1 mi
Liberal Arts #26
-
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia · 59.3 mi
U.S. News #7
Peer median 1.3 · all 51 private art, music and design schools in the U.S.
Incidents, 2023–2025
From the Clery Act campus safety reports schools file, covering on-campus, non-campus and public property.
References and Data Sources
Data from IPEDS (U.S. Department of Education), U.S. News, THE, QS, ARWU and Clery Act campus safety reports. Data insights are written by the Forward Pathway data team from public data.