Kansas City Art Institute vs Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) stand out as prestigious institutions offering specialized art education. While both share a commitment to fostering creativity and artistic excellence, they differ in several key aspects. KCAI boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring artists. Cooper Union, on the other hand, has a lower acceptance rate, indicating a highly selective admissions process. In terms of popular majors, KCAI offers a wider range of programs, including painting, sculpture, photography, and graphic design, while Cooper Union focuses primarily on fine arts, architecture, and engineering. Additionally, the student body demographics and graduation rates vary between the two institutions, reflecting their unique characteristics and educational approaches. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into these differences and discover which institution aligns best with your artistic aspirations and academic goals.

	Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art	Kansas City Art Institute
Overview
Location	New York, New York	Kansas City, Missouri
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	74.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	14.7%	60.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	2,678	897
Total number of admissions given out	393	538
Admitted students who chose to enroll	210	206
Yield rate	53.4%	38.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$67,146	$52,075
Average net price	$20,757	$27,274
Tuition	$44,550	$39,975
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $8,700 Meal plan: $3,425
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $38,212	99.0% Average amount $26,787
Students receiving federal student loan	20.0% Average amount $4,814	76.0% Average amount $4,963
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $24,000	14.0% Average amount $16,562

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	876 Men 53.2% Women 46.8%	726 Men 25.9% Women 74.1%
Graduate students	60 Men 80.0% Women 20.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	36.5%	N/A
International students	14.6%	0.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	170	229
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey California Florida Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Visual & Performing Arts Architecture	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	83.4%	62.1%
Dropout rate	11.8%	17.2%
Transferred out	N/A	20.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,818 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $19,405 Astronomy and Astrophysics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,379 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A	Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,327 Year 2: $27,947 Year 3: $39,160 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,126 Year 2: $27,476 Year 3: $28,754 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,245 Year 2: $22,715 Year 3: $28,248 Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,235 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $23,530 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,580 Year 3: N/A

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Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

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