🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Expect a high net price across most income brackets.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1050–1280 · ACT 21–28 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students focused on Visual & Performing Arts (the school's signature program)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1050, or ACT below 21, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • High upfront cost (~$52,147/yr net for families above $110K income) — verify the major's earnings track record before committing

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
15,243
10,000 - 19,999
In-state tuition
$41,630
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$41,630
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
83.7%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1050–1280
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
21–28
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$45,954
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$34,110
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,954
4-year completion
69%
Median debt (completers)
$25,148
Cost of attendance
$63,627
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
19%

💰 True ROI

2.3× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$197,720
$49,430/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$56,788
vs sticker $254,508
10-yr earnings total
$459,540
$45,954/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
4.3 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Savannah College of Art and Design, the average net price is $49,430/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$44,858/yr
Family income $30-48k
$45,198/yr
Family income $48-75k
$48,668/yr
Family income $75-110k
$51,558/yr
Family income $110k+
$52,147/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Savannah College of Art and Design's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Savannah College of Art and Design →

Opens on Savannah College of Art and Design's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Savannah College of Art and Design

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Savannah College of Art and Design actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Visual & Performing Arts
1,435 degrees · 56.7%
Typical career outcomes
Graphic Designer $59k Art Director $106k Multimedia Artist / Animator $99k Musician / Singer $39k
Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.
2. Communications Technologies
552 degrees · 21.8%
Typical career outcomes
Broadcast Technician $56k Sound Engineering Technician $59k Audio / Video Equipment Tech $51k
Broadcast tech, sound engineering, AV production.
3. Communication, Journalism, & Related
346 degrees · 13.7%
Typical career outcomes
Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.
4. Engineering
104 degrees · 4.1%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
5. Family & Consumer Sciences
94 degrees · 3.7%
Typical career outcomes
Dietitian / Nutritionist $70k Social / Community Service Mgr $77k Hospitality Manager $65k
Nutrition, dietetics, child & family services, hospitality.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Savannah College of Art and Design

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services. Bachelor's Degree 21 $128,600
Human Computer Interaction. Bachelor's Degree 50 $83,500 $113,397
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication. Bachelor's Degree 322 $40,139 $64,076
Architectural Sciences and Technology. Bachelor's Degree 67 $48,181 $64,052
Apparel and Textiles. Bachelor's Degree 99 $31,574 $55,925
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies. Bachelor's Degree 19 $28,418 $48,189
Design and Applied Arts. Bachelor's Degree 694 $23,400 $45,923
Graphic Communications. Bachelor's Degree 523 $23,451 $43,058
Film/Video and Photographic Arts. Bachelor's Degree 330 $23,976 $41,651
Fine and Studio Arts. Bachelor's Degree 109 $20,643 $41,153

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Savannah College of Art and Design vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Savannah College of Art and Design

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Savannah College of Art and Design doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Savannah College of Art and Design.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($46,304 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($42,979 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($41,721 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($41,554 less)
Texas A & M International University
TX · Public
$10,697/yr for $110k+ families ($41,450 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Middle Georgia State University
GA · Public
100% admit rate (vs 84% here)
Columbus State University
GA · Public
99% admit rate (vs 84% here)
College of Coastal Georgia
GA · Public
98% admit rate (vs 84% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Savannah College of Art and Design into your overall strategy:

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