10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$70,774at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Art Center College of Design
⌖ Pasadena, CA · 8 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$70,774 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
12.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−19%Modeled 10-year ROI
$75,387Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$48,661Average net price / year
$75,649Cost of attendance
$75,387Median earnings · year 5 after completion
79.2%Completion rate
74.5%Admission rate
2,017Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$46,662Year 1
$74,009Year 4
$75,387Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Engineering-Related Fields · Bachelor's Degree$92,2932Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's Degree$90,1883Architectural Sciences and Technology · Bachelor's Degree$77,4014Design and Applied Arts · Bachelor's Degree$76,0935Film/Video and Photographic Arts · Bachelor's Degree$49,9336Fine and Studio Arts · Bachelor's Degree$33,0737Fine and Studio Arts · Master's Degree$30,188Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in CA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Los Angeles, CA
Loyola Marymount University
- Annual net price
- $48,381
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $75,375
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -19%
Chapman University
- Annual net price
- $46,555
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $70,171
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -31%
Southern California Institute of Architecture
- Annual net price
- $43,923
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $71,753
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -25%
Pepperdine University
- Annual net price
- $58,098
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $79,256
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -17%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering-Related Fields | Bachelor's Degree | $92,293 | $37,250 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $90,188 | $54,124 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Bachelor's Degree | $77,401 | Not available |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $76,093 | $31,050 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $49,933 | $31,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $33,073 | Not available |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Master's Degree | $30,188 | Not available |
| Graphic Communications | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $35,593 |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.