School of the Art Institute of Chicago SAT Scores, ACT Scores, Acceptance Rate, and Admissions Requirements
With a 77.5% acceptance rate, your main job at SAIC is not chasing a narrow admissions cutoff. Keep your academics near the 3.6 GPA profile, use test scores only if they strengthen your record, and put real effort into the creative work and fit signals that shape an art-school application.
⬡ LangSmith44373f4e-d122-4882-8192-376a6121e41bData on this page is sourced from our college data partners and was last updated on July 9, 2026.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago facts and stats
School of the Art Institute of Chicago enrolls about 2,806 undergraduates in an urban campus setting. SAIC has an 84% freshman retention rate, which is above the national average of roughly 70%. Its 6-year graduation rate is 67%, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1.
⬡ LangSmithbba77ab6-0a4d-4437-a866-cd429d4616c4Chicago, IL
How does your GPA compare at SAIC?
Key School of the Art Institute of Chicago application dates
Key dates
Regular Decision
April 15
Early Action
November 15
Early Decision
Not offered
Priority Deadline
—
Financial Aid Priority
March 1
Test dates
August 22, 2026
Registration deadline: August 7, 2026
September 12, 2026
Registration deadline: August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026
Registration deadline: September 18, 2026
September 19, 2026
Registration deadline: August 14, 2026
October 17, 2026
Registration deadline: September 11, 2026
December 12, 2026
Registration deadline: November 6, 2026
If you choose to submit scores to test-optional SAIC, take your first SAT or ACT by the spring of junior year, then use the summer before senior year and October for retakes to improve a superscore. Because SAIC’s earliest deadline is Early Action on November 15, an October SAT or ACT is the last fall retake you should count on arriving in time.
⬡ LangSmith2eee5472-9ed1-4d2e-b3f1-d3682af645acWant to improve your scores and unlock scholarships at School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
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What you'll actually pay
SAIC is a private not-for-profit, so the same tuition and fees rate applies to all students. Tuition and fees are $55,440, and students should submit the FAFSA by the March 1 priority deadline to be considered for financial aid.
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As a private not-for-profit art school, SAIC’s listed cost of attendance is about $71,990, including $55,440 in tuition and fees and $16,550 for room and board. What students actually pay can vary based on financial need, scholarships, and living arrangements. Families should compare the published price with any aid offer to understand the net cost.
⬡ LangSmithc251addc-9aed-4ce1-bad4-89b688effe24Student life at School of the Art Institute of Chicago
32% of undergrads live on campus
Freshman housing: No guarantee
No fraternity or sorority life on campus.
Similar schools
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OHAcceptance rate: 32.2%
Columbus College of Art & Design
Columbus, OHAcceptance rate: 67.7%
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Milwaukee, WIAcceptance rate: 60.5%
Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, OHAcceptance rate: 61.4%
SAT: 1030–1280
ACT: 23–29
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