Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

    Lancaster, PA, United States

    Pennsylvania College of Art and Design's acceptance rate is 99.2% (CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, 187 applicants). It is a private nonprofit college in Lancaster, PA, with 400 students. The average net price after grants is $33,456 a year. The six-year graduation rate is 68.8%, and median earnings ten years after entry are $36,746.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    • Private nonprofit
    • Small city
    • Arts, music & design school

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    Pennsylvania College of Art and Design acceptance rate

    Acceptance rate: 99.2% (fall admissions, CollegesRef 2026–27 edition). 96 of 187 applicants were admitted. Admissions details

    What we know

    Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
    Admit rate
    99.2%

    Less selective than 95% of colleges

    National median 77.3%

    Avg. net price
    $33,456
    per year, after aid

    Costs more than 92% of colleges

    National median $16,403

    Graduation rate
    68.8%
    within six years

    Higher than 82% of colleges

    National median 46%

    Median earnings
    $36,746
    10 years after entry

    Lower than 93% of colleges

    National median $50,155

    Students
    400

    Smaller than 82% of colleges

    National median 1,603

    Pennsylvania College of Art and DesignMiddle half of collegesNational median

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    Admissions

    Pennsylvania College of Art and Design admitted 99.2% of 187 applicants.

    Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
    1. Applicants187

      99.2% of applicants were admitted

    2. Admitted96

      39.6% of admitted students enrolled (yield)

    3. Enrolled (first-year)38
    Bar length is relative to the number of applicants. Enrolled counts first-time, first-year students.

    Cost & financial aid

    Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025

    Average net price

    $33,456

    What students paid per year on average after grants and scholarships. Your price depends on family income.

    Published price vs. what students paid

    Tuition & fees
    $33,309
    Average net price
    $33,456
    Tuition is the published yearly price. Average net price is the yearly cost of attendance (tuition, housing, food, books) minus grants and scholarships.

    Students receiving Pell Grants

    Pell Grant recipients
    51.2%
    Share of undergraduates who receive a federal Pell Grant, a common signal of how many students come from lower-income families.

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    Outcomes

    Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
    68.8%

    Graduation rate

    First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time

    85.1%

    First-year retention

    Students who return for a second year

    Median earnings

    $36,746

    Former students who received federal aid

    Graduate earnings by major at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

    Explore these programs

    Every field of study, with the colleges that offer it and what graduates earn.

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    Academics

    Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025

    Total students

    400

    Academic calendar

    Semester

    Carnegie classification

    Arts, music & design school

    A Bachelor’s Degree College with an Arts, Music & Design focus.

    Location & details

    Where the campus is, how far it sits from a major city, and other colleges within reach.

    Pennsylvania College of Art and DesignLancaster, PA, United States

    Distances are straight-line miles, not driving distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles.

    Campus

    Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

    Lancaster, PA, United States

    • Private nonprofit
    • Arts, music & design school

    Small city

    Inside an urbanized area and a principal city.

    1. City (this campus)
    2. Suburb
    3. Town
    4. Rural

    Nearest major cityBaltimore, MD · about 54 mi

    In the city250 mi

    Calendar
    Semester
    Website
    pcad.edu

    Still have a question?

    Ask about admissions, cost or campus life at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. Answers come from CollegesRef data.

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    Compare before you decide

    Admit rate, net price and outcomes for Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and Moore College of Art and Design, side by side.

    Compare with Moore College of Art and Design

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design acceptance rate for 2026?

    Pennsylvania College of Art and Design admitted 99.2% of 187 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, the most recent release. That is the figure colleges report to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

    How much is Pennsylvania College of Art and Design tuition?

    Tuition at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is $33,309 a year before financial aid in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. The average net price after grants is $33,456 a year.

    What is the average net price at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?

    The average net price at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, what first-time, full-time students paid after grants and scholarships, was $33,456 a year in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. Your own price depends on family income; the college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.

    What is the graduation rate at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?

    68.8% of first-time, full-time students at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design graduate within six years (150% of normal time), according to the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.

    What colleges are similar to Pennsylvania College of Art and Design?

    The closest matches are Moore College of Art and Design, Cleveland Institute of Art, and Columbus College of Art and Design, based on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile.

    Sources

    Last checked Nov 3, 2026

    Admissions
    U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
    Cost
    U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
    Outcomes
    U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
    Enrollment
    U.S. College Scorecard · 2025

    Figures come from federal reporting. Text marked “CollegesRef editorial” is our own summary, and similar-college lists come from CollegesRef matching. How we source data

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