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Pacific Northwest College of Art

Portland, Oregon · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

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At a glance

Average net price
$35,785What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
75%
Graduation rate
36%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
420
In-state tuition
$49,006Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$49,006
SAT midpoint
Not reported
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$34,883Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$35,785

Better than 10% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

36%

Better than 13% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$34,883

Better than 7% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$25,000

Better than 40% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$70,376

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$35,785

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?
Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Pacific Northwest College of Art
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time36%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return69%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$25,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$34,883

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Pacific Northwest College of Art by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Fine and Studio Arts$25,90621
Design and Applied Arts$19,50142
Visual and Performing Arts, General$13,89515
Film/Video and Photographic ArtsNot reported2
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesNot reportedNot reported
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and ArtisanryNot reportedNot reported

All 6 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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