10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$468,460at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
⌖ Chicago, IL · 6 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$468,460 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
—Modeled economic break-even
−124%Modeled 10-year ROI
$36,070Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$49,790Average net price / year
$75,625Cost of attendance
$36,070Median earnings · year 5 after completion
67.0%Completion rate
77.5%Admission rate
2,805Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$24,516Year 1
$45,385Year 4
$36,070Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Architecture · Master's Degree$74,6292Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions · Master's Degree$58,8093Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Master's Degree$52,9524Fine and Studio Arts · Master's Degree$47,3555Fine and Studio Arts · Bachelor's Degree$45,6026Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies · Master's Degree$42,100Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in IL
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Chicago, IL
Columbia College Chicago
- Annual net price
- $26,598
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $41,854
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -111%
Hebrew Theological College
- Annual net price
- $26,861
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,563
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -91%
Knox College
- Annual net price
- $24,595
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,902
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -90%
Moody Bible Institute
- Annual net price
- $22,221
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,456
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -95%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Master's Degree | $74,629 | Not available |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Master's Degree | $58,809 | Not available |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $52,952 | Not available |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Master's Degree | $47,355 | Not available |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $45,602 | $27,000 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Master's Degree | $42,100 | Not available |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.