School of the Art Institute of Chicago vs Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

When it comes to art and design education, two institutions that consistently rank among the best are the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union). While both schools offer a rigorous curriculum and a vibrant artistic community, there are some key differences between them. SAIC, located in the heart of Chicago's vibrant art scene, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while Cooper Union, situated in New York City's Greenwich Village, has a lower acceptance rate and a smaller, more intimate student body. Additionally, SAIC offers a wider range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including popular majors like painting, photography, and sculpture, while Cooper Union focuses primarily on undergraduate education in art, architecture, and engineering. To help you make an informed decision about which school is the right fit for you, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences in greater detail, including acceptance rates, popular

	Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art	School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Overview
Location	New York, New York	Chicago, Illinois
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 and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	83.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	14.7%	81.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75	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	2,678	5,835
Total number of admissions given out	393	4,725
Admitted students who chose to enroll	210	669
Yield rate	53.4%	14.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	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	$67,146	$67,380
Average net price	$20,757	$50,214
Tuition	$44,550	$52,200
Room & board		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)	100.0% Average amount $38,212	93.0% Average amount $20,194
Students receiving federal student loan	20.0% Average amount $4,814	45.0% Average amount $5,504
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $24,000	8.0% Average amount $32,788

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	876 Men 53.2% Women 46.8%	2,795 Men 24.8% Women 75.2%
Graduate students	60 Men 80.0% Women 20.0%	764 Men 25.8% Women 74.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	36.5%	N/A
International students	14.6%	30.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	170	990
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 English Language and Literature Health Professions Education Architecture
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	83.4%	65.0%
Dropout rate	11.8%	7.5%
Transferred out	N/A	25.6%
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	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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Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

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