Savannah College of Art and Design: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Savannah College of Art and Design is a private nonprofit college in Savannah, GA. Students pay about $49,430 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $45,954 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree does not pay back versus a high-school career within ten years, ranking it #886 of 918 (top 97%) by value added.
What is Savannah College of Art and Design's acceptance rate?
Savannah College of Art and Design has an acceptance rate of 83.0%, which makes it largely open-admission. It is a private nonprofit institution in Savannah, GA enrolling about 15,243 students, with a 69.9% graduation rate.
How much does Savannah College of Art and Design cost?
Savannah College of Art and Design costs about $49,430 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $222,868. Published sticker cost of attendance is $63,627 per year.
How much do Savannah College of Art and Design graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Savannah College of Art and Design student earns $45,954 per year. That is $746 less than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Savannah College of Art and Design worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Savannah College of Art and Design does not pay back versus a high-school career within ten years: its graduates earn at or below the $46,700 high-school baseline, so the degree's net value-add over a decade is about -$230,328. It ranks #886 of 918 (top 97%). It lands in the no-payback group mainly because graduate earnings sit near the $46,700 high-school baseline.
Does not pay back
Savannah College of Art and Design graduation rate and student debt
69.9% of Savannah College of Art and Design students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $25,148 in federal student debt. That debt is about 55% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Savannah College of Art and Design by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Savannah College of Art and Design compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $49,430 | $20,299 | cheaper than 1% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $45,954 | $54,768 | 22th |
| Graduation rate | 69.9% | 57.0% | 77th |
| Acceptance rate | 83.0% | 75.7% | more selective than 35% |
| 10-yr value added | -$230,328 | -$28,192 | 4th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | -0.03x | 0.73x | 24th |
| Payback period | No payback | 8.8 yrs | n/a |
How Savannah College of Art and Design compares with its nearest rivals
Savannah College of Art and Design ranks #886 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 5 of them cost less per year and 4 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Savannah College of Art and Design is a private nonprofit college in Savannah, GA with 15,243 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $63,627 a year, but the average aided family pays $49,430, a 22% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $25,148, equal to 55% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Admission is broadly accessible at Savannah College of Art and Design, which admits 83.0% of applicants, so cost and completion decide its value more than selectivity does.
- Berea College (Berea, KY; #576 of 918; 60.1% graduate) costs $43,324 less per year ($6,106 net), and its graduates earn $2,804 less ten years out ($43,150). Berea College adds $166,813 more ten-year value than Savannah College of Art and Design.
- Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA; #252 of 918; 80.7% graduate) costs $16,117 less per year ($33,313 net), and its graduates earn $21,635 more ten years out ($67,589). Whitman College adds $287,529 more ten-year value than Savannah College of Art and Design. Whitman College pays back its cost in 7.3 years.
- Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX; #247 of 918; 68.1% graduate) costs $30,360 less per year ($19,070 net), and its graduates earn $16,500 more ten years out ($62,454). Texas Tech University adds $290,088 more ten-year value than Savannah College of Art and Design. Texas Tech University pays back its cost in 6.2 years.
- University of Vermont (Burlington, VT; #247 of 918; 78.6% graduate) costs $30,087 less per year ($19,343 net), and its graduates earn $16,518 more ten years out ($62,472). University of Vermont adds $289,725 more ten-year value than Savannah College of Art and Design. University of Vermont pays back its cost in 6.2 years.
- Pitzer College (Claremont, CA; #215 of 918; 83.3% graduate) costs $15,239 less per year ($34,191 net), and its graduates earn $23,558 more ten years out ($69,512). Pitzer College adds $304,934 more ten-year value than Savannah College of Art and Design. Pitzer College pays back its cost in 6.7 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitzer College | #215 | $34,191 | $69,512 | 83.3% | $74,606 |
| Texas Tech University | #247 | $19,070 | $62,454 | 68.1% | $59,760 |
| University of Vermont | #247 | $19,343 | $62,472 | 78.6% | $59,397 |
| Whitman College | #252 | $33,313 | $67,589 | 80.7% | $57,201 |
| Berea College | #576 | $6,106 | $43,150 | 60.1% | -$63,515 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | #886 | $49,430 | $45,954 | 69.9% | -$230,328 |
Paying for Savannah College of Art and Design
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Savannah College of Art and Design worth the cost compared to other colleges?
Savannah College of Art and Design ranks #886 of 918 (top 97%): on reported figures the degree does not recover its cost within ten years, placing it among the 226 colleges that do not pay back.
Is Savannah College of Art and Design expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $49,430 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 1% of them.
Do Savannah College of Art and Design graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $45,954 ten years out are below the $54,768 median, higher than 22% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Savannah College of Art and Design compared to other colleges?
Its 83.0% acceptance rate is above the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 35% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.