College Search

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Lancaster, PA · City · 400 students
4
Year
Private Non-profit
City
Small (<3k)
Accredited by National Association of Schools of Arts and Design
About

Located in the heart of downtown Lancaster’s vibrant arts district, the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) is a premier professional art institution renowned for its career-focused BFA programs in high-demand fields like Illustration, Graphic Design, Animation & Game Art, and Live Experience Design. The college’s tight-knit campus culture offers an intimate, highly collaborative learning environment where students receive direct, mentor-based instruction from faculty members who are active, working professionals. What truly sets PCA&D apart is its intentional "micro-college" scale of under 300 students combined with a mandatory internship curriculum, ensuring that every student receives individualized attention while gaining hands-on, real-world experience in the creative industries before graduation.


Wikipedia:Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is a private art and design college located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. The college offers Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), and Associate of Arts (AA) degrees, as well as minors, certificate programs, and continuing education opportunities.

Location
Lancaster, PA, 17603-0059 · City campus
Nearest airport from college
PHL · Philadelphia
58 mi away
Cost
Cost of attendance
$43,815
Avg net price
$30,083
Room & board
$17,230
Tuition
$32,150
Books & supplies
$1,650/yr
Average net price by family income
$0–30k
$24,547
$30–48k
$24,115
$48–75k
$26,576
$75–110k
$30,876
$110k+
$37,851
Admissions
Admit rate
99%
Test policy
Not required

Wondering if Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is the right fit for you?

Scout builds a personalized college list — reach, match, and safety schools — tailored to your profile, grades, and goals. Get financial aid estimates, scholarship guidance, and deep dives on every school.

Personalized reach / match / safety list
Financial aid & net cost estimates
Deep dives on any school
Scholarship search
Essay Requirements

This school does not appear to use the Common Application. Check the school's admissions website directly for essay requirements and application instructions.

See the current Common App essay prompts for the personal statement options.

Outcomes
Graduation rate
66%
4-yr on-time completion
67%
1st-yr retention
85%
Transfer-out rate
13%
8-year outcomes
Graduated
58%
Transferred
23%
Still enrolled
0%
Dropped out / unknown
19%
Median earnings (6yr)
$23,638
Median earnings (10yr)
$33,301
Median debt
$27,000
Monthly loan payment
$286
Debt range (25th–75th)
$5,500$27,000
Debt (90th percentile)
$35,000
Student Body
Men 32%Women 69%
10
:
1
Student : Faculty ratio
Students   Faculty
Pell grant recipients
47%
Median family income
$56,987
Independent students
10%
Avg age at entry
20.0
Part-time students
4%
Race & ethnicity
White
62%
Hispanic
3%
Black
15%
Asian
5%
Two or more
5%
NH/PI
2%
Unknown
9%
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings for graduates across all programs
6 years after entry
$23,638
10 years after entry
$33,301
Design and Applied Arts36
Fine and Studio Arts8
Film/Video and Photographic Arts7
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Endowment
$3M
Classification
Special Focus (Law)
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions
Full-time faculty
24%
Avg faculty salary
$4,574/mo
Instructional spend/student
$8,279
Federal loan rate
69%

Wondering if Pennsylvania College of Art and Design is the right fit for you?

Scout builds a personalized college list — reach, match, and safety schools — tailored to your profile, grades, and goals. Get financial aid estimates, scholarship guidance, and deep dives on every school.

Personalized reach / match / safety list
Financial aid & net cost estimates
Deep dives on any school
Scholarship search
Get your college list →See a sample report first