School of the Art Institute of Chicago — ROI, Cost & Payback
School of the Art Institute of Chicago charges a net price of $49,790/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $199,160. Median earnings ten years after entry are $40,151, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, School of the Art Institute of Chicago does not clear its cost — it ranks #106 of 116 Illinois colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $49,790/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $199,160 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $40,151 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | $-8,209/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $27,000 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | $-363,340 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
How we compute this. Payback = total net cost ÷ annual earnings premium, where the premium is median earnings 10 years after entry minus the $48,360 baseline (BLS 2024 median for a high-school-diploma worker 25+). Total net cost = net price × 4 years. We do not discount future dollars. The institution-wide earnings figure blends every major — a specific program's payback can be far better or worse. Full method on the methodology page.