Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, Ohio · Private · 539 undergraduates · cia.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
61%
of applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
980 to 1280
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$74,330Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Cleveland Institute of Art
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
61% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$74,330
a year in 2027-28, from a $74,330 sticker price
What to do with your 1130
Send your score
Your SAT is at or above the median of freshmen who sent scores (1130).
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- SAT EBRW 520 or ACT English+Reading 39 accepted as English-proficiency alternatives for international applicants
Source: Cleveland Institute of Art goes test-optional for new applicants · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- Dec1Early Action · December 1, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Mar1Regular Decision · March 1, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
61%
of applicants are admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above.
SAT total 980 to 1280
Reading and Writing 500 to 660
Math 480 to 620
ACT composite 23 to 29
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$74,330
a year
- Tuition$52,940
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$26,220
- $30,001 to $48,000$28,572
- $48,001 to $75,000$26,777
- $75,001 to $110,000$32,857
- Over $110,000$38,812
Financial aidEstimate
66%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
100%
of freshmen receive grants
$33,857
average grant to freshmen
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
Ohio programs for residents
Governor's Merit Scholarship
$5,000 a year
State program · In-state students
- Homeschool / dropout prevention & recovery / nonchartered nonpublic applicants (top 5% of similar applicants by ACT/SAT); Apply via ODHE portal in senior year; homeschoolers upload superintendent's response to home-education notification; Selective Service if applicable; on-time graduation; junior on track at determination
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
35 of 35
Earn credit with a score of 3
32 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $5,290Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 |
| Biology | 3 | 3 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 3 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 3 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 3 | 3 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 3 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 3 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 |
| Drawing | 4 | 3 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 |
| European History | 3 | 3 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 3 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 3 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 3 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 3 |
| Latin | 3 | 3 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 3 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 3 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 3 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 |
| United States History | 3 | 3 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
62%
Come back for a second year
88%
Typical earnings
$42,757
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Cleveland Institute of Art$47,508
- All colleges$55,092
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 2 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Cleveland Institute of Art. The Cleveland Institute of Art logo is a trademark of the college.