Kansas City Art Institute vs Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) and Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) stand out as two prominent art and design institutions, each offering unique educational experiences. KCAI boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process, while MCAD offers a higher acceptance rate, making it more accessible to aspiring artists. In terms of student body demographics, KCAI has a slightly larger undergraduate population, while MCAD has a more diverse student body. Both institutions offer a range of popular majors in art and design, with KCAI excelling in areas like painting, drawing, and sculpture, and MCAD known for its strengths in graphic design, illustration, and photography. When it comes to graduation rates, MCAD has a slightly higher rate, suggesting a strong commitment to student success. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, allowing you to assess which institution aligns best with your artistic aspirations and academic goals
Kansas City Art Institute logo

Kansas City Art Institute

Minneapolis College of Art and Design logo

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Overview

Location Kansas City, Missouri Minneapolis, Minnesota
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 Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 74.0% 77.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 60.0% 65.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 897 638
Total number of admissions given out 538 418
Admitted students who chose to enroll 206 163
Yield rate 38.3% 39.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $52,075 $55,702
Average net price $27,274 $28,520
Tuition $39,975 $41,344
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,700

Meal plan: $3,425
Room/dormitory: $5,980

Meal plan: $1,200
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $26,787
100.0%
Average amount $25,957
Students receiving federal student loan 76.0%
Average amount $4,963
96.0%
Average amount $5,416
Students taking out private loans 14.0%
Average amount $16,562
20.0%
Average amount $15,914

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 726
Men 25.9% Women 74.1%
675
Men 31.6% Women 68.4%
Graduate students N/A 100
Men 22.0% Women 78.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 44.4%
International students 0.8% 4.1%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 229 288
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois Iowa South Dakota

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • English Language and Literature
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communications Technology
  • Business
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 62.1% 66.2%
Dropout rate 17.2% 18.6%
Transferred out 20.7% 15.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,967
  • Year 3: $34,987
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,412
  • Year 2: $25,967
  • Year 3: $34,268
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,993
  • Year 2: $28,236
  • Year 3: $28,847
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,090
  • Year 2: $18,771
  • Year 3: $26,963
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,098
  • Year 2: $22,192
  • Year 3: $25,223
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,078
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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