School of the Art Institute of Chicago: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Rock Island, Illinois · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective
School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private nonprofit university in Rock Island, Illinois that admits about 68% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $12,437 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Biology, General, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 4.8 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private institution located in Rock Island, Illinois with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, School of the Art Institute of Chicago admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 68%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT around 1133. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $12,437 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. 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.
SAT and ACT scores School of the Art Institute of Chicago typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 510–630, with an EBRW midpoint near —. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–28. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does School of the Art Institute of Chicago actually cost?
Published tuition is $49,834 for in-state students and $49,834 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,166 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $12,437 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 22% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at School of the Art Institute of Chicago
The most popular undergraduate programs at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Biology, General, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas and Psychology, General. Across all programs, School of the Art Institute of Chicago confers roughly 369 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Biology, General program report a median income of about $63,514 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology, General | 78 | $63,514 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 59 | $48,710 |
| Psychology, General | 52 | $57,918 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 51 | $72,234 |
| Marketing | 37 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 34 | $63,279 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 31 | $80,334 |
| Computer Science | 27 | $76,294 |
Is School of the Art Institute of Chicago safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), School of the Art Institute of Chicago disclosed 12 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 4.8 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 1 violent offenses and 5 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.
Other colleges in Illinois parents ask about
- University of Chicago7% acceptance
- Northwestern University5% acceptance
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign44% acceptance
- University of Illinois Chicago70% acceptance
- DePaul University55% acceptance
- Loyola University Chicago93% acceptance
- Illinois State University89% acceptance
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale90% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago
What GPA do I need for School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does School of the Art Institute of Chicago typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 510–630, with an EBRW midpoint near —. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–28.
How much does School of the Art Institute of Chicago actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at School of the Art Institute of Chicago after grants and scholarships is $12,437 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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, School of the Art Institute of Chicago 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 School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago accepts about 68% of applicants. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is School of the Art Institute of Chicago a public or private school, and where is it located?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a private nonprofit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois.
What are the most popular majors at School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
The largest undergraduate majors at School of the Art Institute of Chicago by annual graduates are Biology, General, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas and Psychology, General. The school awards about 369 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is School of the Art Institute of Chicago safe? What is its campus crime rate?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago reported 12 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 4.8 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from 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.