Match #1
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Milwaukee, WI
Profile closeness58/100
Admit rate61%
- 837 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
The colleges most similar to School of the Art Institute of Chicago are Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Kansas City Art Institute, and Otis College of Art and Design. School of the Art Institute of Chicago admits 77% of applicants and has an average net price of $53,331 a year; 9 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 3 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City, MO
Profile closeness51/100
Admit rate55%
- 812 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #3
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, CA
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate82%
- 1,223 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Acceptance rate 82%, close to 77%
- Average net price $50,943, close to $53,331
Match #4
Ringling College of Art and Design
Sarasota, FL
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate70%
- 1,662 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 72%, close to 68%
- Acceptance rate 70%, close to 77%
Match #5
Maryland Institute College of Art MICA
Baltimore, MD
Profile closeness76/100
Admit rate77%
- 1,189 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 71%, close to 68%
- Acceptance rate 77%, close to 77%
Match #6
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, CA
Profile closeness70/100
Admit rate94%
- 746 students
- Private nonprofit
- Rural: Fringe
- Graduation rate 60%, close to 68%
- Average net price $50,349, close to $53,331
Match #7
Columbus College of Art and Design
Columbus, OH
Profile closeness63/100
Admit rate68%
- 882 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 61%, close to 68%
- Acceptance rate 68%, close to 77%
Match #8
Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, OH
Profile closeness56/100
Admit rate61%
- 539 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 62%, close to 68%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #9
Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, PA
Profile closeness55/100
Admit rate56%
- 535 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Same Carnegie classification
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #10
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Lancaster, PA
Profile closeness54/100
Admit rate99%
- 400 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 69%, close to 68%
- Same Carnegie classification
Questions about School of the Art Institute of Chicago alternatives
What colleges are similar to School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
The closest matches to School of the Art Institute of Chicago are Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Kansas City Art Institute, Otis College of Art and Design, Ringling College of Art and Design, and Maryland Institute College of Art MICA. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is School of the Art Institute of Chicago hard to get into?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago admitted 77% of its 5,835 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 3 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which School of the Art Institute of Chicago alternatives cost less?
9 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than School of the Art Institute of Chicago ($53,331 a year), including Columbus College of Art and Design ($27,723), Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design ($28,129), and Kansas City Art Institute ($31,165). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
