SVA NYC vs San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI)

When it comes to art education, two prominent institutions that often come to mind are the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City and the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) in San Francisco. While both schools offer a comprehensive range of art programs, there are some key differences that set them apart. SVA boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring artists. In contrast, SFAI has a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process. Additionally, the student body demographics vary, with SVA having a larger international student population compared to SFAI. As you explore the comparison table below, you'll find further insights into these differences, along with details on popular majors, graduation rates, and other factors that can help you make an informed decision about which school best aligns with your artistic aspirations and goals.

	San Francisco Art Institute	School of Visual Arts
Overview
Location	San Francisco, California	New York, New York
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (For Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate		85.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	94.7%	71.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $85	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $80
SAT range	N/A	1140 - 1363
ACT range	N/A	22 - 30
Students submitting SAT score		14.0%
Students submitting ACT score		3.0%
Total number of applicants	169	4,208
Total number of admissions given out	160	3,000
Admitted students who chose to enroll		771
Yield rate		25.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price		$74,968
Average net price		$51,634
Tuition		$45,000
Room & board
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)		63.0% Average amount $16,551
Students receiving federal student loan		24.0% Average amount $5,267
Students taking out private loans		7.0% Average amount $32,503

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	42 Men 50.0% Women 50.0%	3,529 Men 27.4% Women 72.6%
Graduate students	28 Men 32.1% Women 67.9%	582 Men 24.9% Women 75.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	65.5%
International students	N/A	53.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	1,092
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York New Jersey California Florida Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences	Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science Communications Technology Multidisciplinary Studies Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	4:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	N/A	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	31.8%	73.9%
Dropout rate	68.2%	13.6%
Transferred out	N/A	11.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $32,786 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $27,309 Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $30,264 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,116 Year 2: $28,381 Year 3: $29,237 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,494 Year 2: $22,420 Year 3: $16,882 Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,008 Year 3: N/A	Design and Applied Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,688 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $79,178 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $56,128 Computer Software and Media Applications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,114 Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $54,214 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,489 Year 2: $31,567 Year 3: $31,458 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $28,424 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $30,286 Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,481 Year 2: $24,863 Year 3: $26,003 Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $14,518 Year 2: $13,132 Year 3: $18,637 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,405 Year 2: $17,489 Year 3: $17,701 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,635 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: N/A

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