Academy of Art University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
San Jose, California · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Academy of Art University is a public university in San Jose, California that admits about 80% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $13,741 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Communication and Media Studies, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 69% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.7 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Academy of Art University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. For the most recent reporting cycle, Academy of Art University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 80%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,741 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Academy of Art University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Academy of Art University?
Academy of Art University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Academy of Art University weight in admissions?
Academy of Art University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • First generation status
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Academy of Art University typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
| 25th percentile | 1090 |
| 50th percentile | 1190 |
| 75th percentile | 1330 |
| % submitting SAT | 10% |
| 25th percentile | 24 |
| 50th percentile | 25 |
| 75th percentile | 30 |
| % submitting ACT | 1% |
- • Test-blind: Academy of Art University does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if submitted.
- • Policy detail: Not considered
How much does Academy of Art University actually cost?
Published tuition is $7,992 for in-state students and $19,872 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $19,866 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $13,741 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 35% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $6,450 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $19,770 |
| Room and board | $17,523 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $13,741 |
| Application fee | $70 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Academy of Art University
| Regular deadline | 11/30 |
| Notification date | 15-Feb |
| Reply deadline | 1-May |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Will my child graduate from Academy of Art University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Academy of Art University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Academy of Art University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Communication and Media Studies. Across all programs, Academy of Art University confers roughly 3,871 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $82,407 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1,710 | $82,407 |
| Psychology, General | 582 | $65,246 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 309 | $67,114 |
| Computer Science | 288 | $160,714 |
| Public Health | 249 | — |
| Computer Engineering | 248 | $143,080 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 248 | $69,505 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 237 | $71,738 |
Is Academy of Art University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Academy of Art University disclosed 75 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.7 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 14 violent offenses and 9 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Academy of Art University?
About 17% of undergraduates at Academy of Art University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in California parents ask about
- Stanford University4% acceptance
- University of California-Berkeley12% acceptance
- University of California-Los Angeles9% acceptance
- University of Southern California10% acceptance
- University of California-Davis42% acceptance
- University of California-Irvine26% acceptance
- University of California-San Diego25% acceptance
- University of California-Santa Barbara63% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Academy of Art University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Academy of Art University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Academy of Art University
What GPA do I need for Academy of Art University?
Academy of Art University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Academy of Art University typically admit?
Academy of Art University does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does Academy of Art University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Academy of Art University after grants and scholarships is $13,741 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Academy of Art University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Academy of Art University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Academy of Art University?
Academy of Art University accepts about 80% of applicants out of roughly 37,132 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Academy of Art University test-optional?
Academy of Art University is test-blind: it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if you submit them.
What is the graduation rate at Academy of Art University?
About 69% of students at Academy of Art University graduate within six years. 87% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Academy of Art University look for in applicants?
Academy of Art University rates GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Academy of Art University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Academy of Art University is a public institution located in San Jose, California.
What are the most popular majors at Academy of Art University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Academy of Art University by annual graduates are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Communication and Media Studies. The school awards about 3,871 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Academy of Art University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Academy of Art University reported 75 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.7 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Academy of Art University?
At Academy of Art University, 17% of undergraduates live on campus, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Academy of Art University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.