Cornish College of the Arts has not appeared in the U.S. Department of Education IPEDS directory since 2025, which usually means it has closed or merged with another school. The data on this page is historical and kept for reference.
Cornish College of the Arts
Acceptance rate
62.2%
2025
Peer median 61.3%
Tuition per year
$41,684
$57,714 with room and board
Peer median $40,478
Undergraduates
505
Student-faculty ratio 6:1
Peer median 9 : 1
Graduation rate
48.8%
4-year; 6-year rate 52.9%
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
- Seattle, Washington
- Website
- www.cornish.edu
- Undergraduates
- 505
- Student-faculty ratio
- 6 : 1
This collegeRanked colleges nearby
- Setting
- Large city
- Nearest major city
- In Seattle
- Nearest international airport
- Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), about 10 mi
- Academic calendar
- Semester
- Religious affiliation
- Not applicable
- President
- Emily Parkhurst (Interim President)
- Phone
- 2067265016
- City
- Seattle, Washington
- Address
- 1000 Lenora Street, Seattle, WA 98121
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 66.5%, women 76.3%.
Students
505 students in 2025 · Undergraduate men to women 29:71 · Freshman retention 69.3%
- Continuing undergraduates 295
- First-year undergraduates 150
- Transfers and others 60
Undergraduate race and ethnicity (505)
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.
10 in 2025 · 3.2% in 2016
Cost
2025 cost per year
$57,714
- Undergraduate tuition
- $41,684
- Room and board
- $16,030
Peer median tuition + room and board $58,844 · all 51 private art, music and design schools in the U.S.
Tuition rose 12% from 2016 to 2025; room and board rose 50%.
Finances · fiscal year 2024
Revenue$16.8M
Expenses$24.9M
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
-
Seattle UniversitySeattle · 1.0 mi
U.S. News #179
-
Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle · 2.5 mi
U.S. News #262
-
University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle · 3.0 mi
U.S. News #49
-
University of Puget SoundTacoma · 25.4 mi
Liberal Arts #100
-
Portland State UniversityPortland · 146.5 mi
U.S. News #236
-
Reed CollegePortland · 148.3 mi
Liberal Arts #60
-
Pacific UniversityForest Grove · 149.4 mi
U.S. News #236
-
Lewis & Clark CollegePortland · 150.6 mi
Liberal Arts #97
-
George Fox UniversityNewberg · 162.7 mi
U.S. News #262
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.
Notable Alumni
All 24Notable alumni of Cornish College of the Arts include Brendan Fraser (Actor, known for Encino Man and School Ties), Beatrice Straight (Academy Award and Tony Award-winning actress) and Merce Cunningham (Dancer and choreographer in American modern dance).
-
Brendan Fraser 1968–
Actor, known for Encino Man and School Ties
-
Beatrice Straight 1914–2001
Academy Award and Tony Award-winning actress
-
Merce Cunningham 1919–2009
Dancer and choreographer in American modern dance
-
C. S. Lee 1971–
Actor known for Dexter
-
Jane Adams 1965–
Actress and screenwriter
-
Lena Raine 1984–
Composer for Minecraft and Celeste
-
Colleen Atwood 1948–
Costume designer with four Academy Awards
-
Josephine Hutchinson 1903–1998
Stage, film and television actress
-
Chet Huntley 1911–1974
Co-anchor of NBC's Huntley–Brinkley Report
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.