School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs Bard College at Simon's Rock

When it comes to higher education, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and Bard College at Simon's Rock (Bard) stand out as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. SAIC, located in the heart of Chicago's vibrant art scene, is a private art and design school renowned for its rigorous programs in visual arts, while Bard, nestled in the picturesque Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, is a private liberal arts college known for its innovative approach to interdisciplinary learning. With acceptance rates of 38% and 58%, respectively, both institutions offer selective admissions. While SAIC's student body primarily comprises aspiring artists and designers, Bard attracts a diverse group of students with varied academic interests. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your educational journey.

	Bard College at Simon's Rock	School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Overview
Location	Great Barrington, Massachusetts	Chicago, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Distant	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	72.0%	83.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	80.1%	81.0%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $45
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	216	5,835
Total number of admissions given out	173	4,725
Admitted students who chose to enroll	111	669
Yield rate	64.2%	14.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not 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	$82,201	$67,380
Average net price	$37,869	$50,214
Tuition	$59,518	$52,200
Room & board	$16,618	Room/dormitory: $13,500 Meal plan: $2,480
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $38,315	93.0% Average amount $20,194
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,245	45.0% Average amount $5,504
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $23,602	8.0% Average amount $32,788

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	328 Men 36.6% Women 63.4%	2,795 Men 24.8% Women 75.2%
Graduate students	N/A	764 Men 25.8% Women 74.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	11.0%	30.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	443	990
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	Liberal Arts Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Computer and Information Science	Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Health Professions Education Architecture
Students to faculty ratio	6:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.6%	65.0%
Dropout rate	19.1%	7.5%
Transferred out	11.3%	25.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	N/A	Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,981 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: $28,893 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $26,095 Year 2: $22,055 Year 3: $27,442 Architecture (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,707 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,461 Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: N/A Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $27,550 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,246 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: N/A

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School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs Bard College at Simon's Rock

Bard College at Simon's Rock

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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