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School of Visual Arts

New York , NY

The School of Visual Arts (SVA) is a prestigious art and design college located in Manhattan, New York City. Established in 1947, SVA has become one of the leading institutions for professional education in various artistic disciplines. The college offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in fields such as fine arts, graphic design, illustration, advertising, photography, film, animation, and more.

SVA provides a dynamic and nurturing environment for students to explore their creative passions and cultivate their artistic skills. With a faculty consisting of accomplished artists, designers, and industry professionals, students receive expert guidance and mentorship to develop their artistic voice and create a strong portfolio. The college also offers access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources, including spacious studios, darkrooms, digital laboratories, and a wide range of equipment.

Known for its vibrant and diverse community, SVA not only focuses on creating technically skilled artists but also encourages individuality, experimentation, and critical thinking. Students are exposed to a rigorous curriculum that combines traditional techniques with modern digital tools, allowing them to push boundaries and challenge conventions. Furthermore, SVA facilitates numerous exhibition opportunities, networking events, and collaborations with prominent industry partners, enabling students to gain real-world experience and establish professional connections. Overall, the School of Visual Arts is an institution that fosters artistic growth, creativity, and innovation in the heart of one of the worldÆs most culturally rich cities.

School of Visual Arts is a private comprehensive higher education institution located in New York, NY and set in an urban environment. This school uses a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 92%. The freshman retention rate at School of Visual Arts is 85.4% and the six-year graduation rate is 76%.

Here are some essential information on important things to consider about School of Visual Arts.

Quick Facts

3,255

Total Number of Undergraduate Students

$53,400

Tuition

9:1

Student to Faculty Ratio

76%

Graduation Rate

Admissions

You need to learn as much as you can about the entrance requirements of the institution in order to improve your chances of being accepted. Check out some essential information about admission at School of Visual Arts.

According to the newest data, this institution uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 2,909 in 2025. As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is moderately difficult to get into.

Test Scores

7% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 1% submitted ACT scores, out of the total number of those who submitted test scores. 27% of the freshmen submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 53% between 1,200 and 1,399, 15% between 1,000 and 1,199, and 5% of the students between 800 and 999. The percent of new students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 62, 13 between 24-29 and 25 in the range between 18-23.

The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 3.4. Therefore, the chances are that you'll need a GPA higher than the average for acceptance,.

Average Test Scores

Retention Rate

What is the freshman retention rate? The freshman retention rate is the percentage of full-time students who entered the institution as freshmen in the previous academic year and returned for the fall term of the current academic year. Why is that information important? Because it tells you if the majority of freshmen enjoyed their first year at a school enough to come back.

As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for School of Visual Arts was 85.4%, a testament to the outstanding educational experience provided by this institution.

Another important metric to consider is the graduation rate. This rate indicates how many students finish their degrees within a certain timeframe. At this school, the rate of students graduating within six years is 76%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.

Student Body

Figuring out which school is the right fit for you is not a task you should take lightly. You can better comprehend the culture and life of the school by getting to know more about the student body.

Main Student Body

In 2025, the school had an enrollment of 3,812 students.

That year, the school had an out-of-state student body percentage of 56.4. There was a total of 3,255 students working towards bachelor's degrees, including 1,581 international students. 180 students were accepted as transfer students.

Student Population Gender Ratio

With a coeducational student body, the school had 963 male and 2,721 female full-time students in 2025. There were 123 full-time graduate male and 394 full-time graduate female students at this school.

Student Population Diversity

When it comes to improving a sense of inclusion and belonging among students, there is no denying the importance of student diversity. A heterogeneous student body brings together individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Find out more about different ethnic groups you can meet at School of Visual Arts.

This school had 455 Asian students and 99 Afro-American students in 2025. 376 undergrads at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 44 identified with more than one race. There were also 204 students whose ethnicity is unknown.

Cost

Before sending an application to any college or university, the financial component should be taken into account. Here are some details you should know about the expenses at School of Visual Arts that the majority of students face.

Tuition and Fees

If you were wondering how much the tuition cost for School of Visual Arts is, here are some recent data that will come in handy.

Tuition in 2025 was $53,400 for full-time domestic students. As this is a private institution, tuition is the same for all the accepted students.

Books and Supplies

Another important financial factor to take into consideration is the approximate cost of books and supplies for a college or university. Most students have to spend about $1,868 for books and supplies during their time at School of Visual Arts.

Boarding

Besides tuition, another cost to consider is the price of housing in the dorms and eating at the school cafeteria. How much do room and board fees average around at schools?

At School of Visual Arts, the 2025 annual cost of room and board (on campus) was $26,200. Room-only (on campus) cost per academic year at this school stood at $21,900, according to the data from 2025. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was also $21,900.

Tuition $ 53,400
Room and Board $ 26,200
Book and Supplies $ 1,868
Total Expense $ 81,468

Financial Aid

Grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs: these are all types of financial aid for students. If you are interested in finding out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at School of Visual Arts, here are some recent data you should consider.

According to the most recent data, 224 freshmen were awarded financial aid. The average financial aid package awarded to students reached $28,161.

Need-based

Need-based financial aid is exactly what it sounds like — it’s awarded based on the determined financial need.

There were 923 students who received need-based financial aid of any kind. The overall number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need ended up being 1,023. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution stood at $4,481,985, and state $788,822. The students of School of Visual Arts received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $15,297,176, and external in the amount of $303,816.

$15,779

Average Amount of Aid Received

Non-Need Based

Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. Non-need-based student aid typicaly comes in a form of Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.

814 students, including freshmen, got institutional non-need-based financial aid at this school in 2025. Institutional grants or scholarships that are not based on financial need were given to 225 full-time freshman. Federal non-need-based scholarships and grants totaled $4,481,985 for students at this institution, while state aid came to $669,953. The total amount of non-need-based institutional scholarships/grants was $16,583,632. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. The amount the students of this school received from external sources (e.g. Kiwanis, National Merit) was $139,500 USD.

Faculty

9:1

Student to Faculty Ratio

Knowing more about a school's faculty can help you gauge the caliber of the education it can provide to you.

According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at School of Visual Arts was 9:1: that means 9 students per one teacher, which is considered a good ratio. This school has recently reported to have 940 faculty members. This number included 509 men and 431 women.

Student Population Diversity Graph

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100
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100

Campus Life

Not everything at School of Visual Arts is about learning and grades: campus life is an essential part of your educational experience. Find out some info about social life at School of Visual Arts.

Its campus spans 1 acres.

Student Organizations

Joining multiple student organizations can provide you a more interesting and dynamic experience.

You have a talent for media and communication? School of Visual Arts publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.

Student Services

At School of Visual Arts, there are many amenities that make life on campus comfortable and safe.

There is a security patrol that operates around the clock. There is a medical clinic with personal/psychological counseling. All in all, campus life at School of Visual Arts is rich and vibrant and provides all you need for a comfortable stay.

Career Services

Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at School of Visual Arts.

Career Counselling

At School of Visual Arts, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. The career center offers resume preparation and resume referral to employers. The school has campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be highly beneficial for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.

FAQ

School of Visual Arts is located in New York, NY.

The overall full-time tuition per academic year for School of Visual Arts is 53,400 USD, based on the most recent data.

This school uses standardized test scores for admission.

According to the latest information, the acceptance rate for School of Visual Arts is 92%.

According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for School of Visual Arts is 85.4%.

Contact Information

School of Visual Arts

209 East 23rd Street

New York , NY

10010-3994

212 592-2000

School Website

Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.

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