PAFA School vs Ringling College of Art and Design

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) stand out as two prominent institutions dedicated to nurturing artistic talent. While both share a commitment to excellence in art education, they offer distinct experiences for aspiring artists. PAFA, rooted in the traditions of classical art, emphasizes rigorous studio practice and a deep understanding of art history. In contrast, RCAD embraces a more contemporary approach, focusing on interdisciplinary studies and cutting-edge technologies. With different acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, PAFA and RCAD cater to diverse student populations and artistic aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your unique artistic journey.

	Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts	Ringling College of Art and Design
Overview
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Sarasota, Florida
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
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	84.0%	83.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	83.6%	68.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60	$70
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	122	2,117
Total number of admissions given out	102	1,455
Admitted students who chose to enroll	10	401
Yield rate	9.8%	27.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$66,804	$74,563
Average net price	$29,925	$51,318
Tuition	$38,926	$46,600
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $9,260 Meal plan: $6,740
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $29,528	97.0% Average amount $15,756
Students receiving federal student loan	61.0% Average amount $5,864	57.0% Average amount $5,391
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	12.0% Average amount $35,044

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	121 Men 24.0% Women 76.0%	1,663 Men 28.2% Women 71.8%
Graduate students	57 Men 21.1% Women 78.9%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	6.7%	20.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	37	1,272
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio	4:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.2%	80.5%
Dropout rate	33.3%	19.5%
Transferred out	16.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,722 Year 2: $19,749 Year 3: $28,395 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $27,413 Year 2: $22,764 Year 3: $26,502	Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,528 Year 2: $48,725 Year 3: $57,463 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,371 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $32,078 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,460 Year 2: $19,592 Year 3: $21,539 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,707 Year 2: $14,627 Year 3: N/A Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: N/A

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PAFA School vs Ringling College of Art and Design

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Ringling College of Art and Design

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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