School of Visual Arts — ROI, Cost & Payback
School of Visual Arts charges a net price of $57,914/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $231,656. Median earnings ten years after entry are $46,459, 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 Visual Arts does not clear its cost — it ranks #171 of 203 New York colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $57,914/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $231,656 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $46,459 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$1,901/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $27,000 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$269,676 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on School of Visual Arts's own numbers. Net price $57,914 × 4 years = $231,656 total. Median earnings $46,459 fall $1,901 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $231,656 bill in about 23.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do School of Visual Arts students graduate with?
A median $27,000 in federal loans among completers, or 58% of the $46,459 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of School of Visual Arts students graduate?
76% finish their degree. Spread the $231,656 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $304,811 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is School of Visual Arts expensive compared with other New York colleges?
Its $57,914 net price runs $39,001 above the $18,913 median across the 203 New York colleges we profile, or $156,004 more across the full degree.