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Kansas City Art Institute

Kansas City Art Institute

Kansas City, MO · City · 812 students
Website Common App Scorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$27,650
Average net priceYour net price
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
62%
Graduation rate
63% typical
$37,032
Earnings 10 years on
$39,254 typical
55%
Acceptance rate
64% typical · not scored
Accredited by Higher Learning Commission
About

The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a premier private college of art and design best known for its studio-intensive curriculum and rich history in nurturing fine artists and creative professionals. The college boasts nationally renowned programs in ceramics, animation, illustration, and graphic design, all housed within an intimate, highly collaborative campus environment. Students benefit from a mandatory, immersive Foundation year to explore diverse media before receiving guaranteed individual studio spaces as upperclassmen to refine their personal practice. Uniquely situated in Kansas City’s cultural hub, KCAI provides students with direct, doorstep access to world-class resources like the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

Wikipedia:The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school in Kansas City, Missouri. The college was founded in 1885 and is an accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Higher Learning Commission. The institute has approximately 75 faculty members and 700 students, and offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Location
Kansas City, MO, 64111-1874 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
MCI · Kansas City
19 mi away
Open in Google MapsView official campus map
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$44,550
Housing & food (on campus)$13,651
Books & supplies$800
Cost of attendance$69,940
Average net price$27,650
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$44,550
Housing & food (on campus)$13,651
Books & supplies$800
Cost of attendance$69,940
Average net price$27,650
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.kcai.edu
How it’s made up
Tuition$45,000
Housing$10,250
Food$3,764
Books & supplies$1,000
Personal expenses$4,166
Transportation$3,092
Total published by the school$69,940
Source: www.kcai.edu
Net price by family income
$0–30k
$26,293
$30–48k
$25,105
$48–75k
$27,663
$75–110k
$29,943
$110k+
$30,840
Grants from the school
100% of first-years get a grant from the school, averaging $25,700
Source: College Navigator (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS)
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
62%
Within 4 yrs
49%
Back for yr 2
78%
Transferred
9%
Pell students: 53.1% · others: 62.2% 
8 yrs after starting
59% graduated · 26% transferred · 15% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings
6 yrs after entry$25,529
10 yrs after entry$37,032
Debt
Median at graduation$27,000
Monthly payment$286
Middle 50% owe$9.4k–$30.8k
90th percentile$39,500
Admissions
Getting in
Admit rate
55%
Test policy
Not required
Admitted students
Admit rate: men 53.2% · women 55.2% 
Yield: 35.1% of admitted students enroll 

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Essay prompts

If Kansas City Art Institute asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 22%Women 78%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell grant
44%
First-gen
21%
Family income
$54,983
Independent
12%
Age at entry
20.0
Part-time
1%
Where first-years come from
In state (MO)
47.2%
Out of state
51.9%
International
0.9%

Most out-of-state first-years from: KS 28 · TX 12 · FL 11 · ID 9 · NE 9

Race & ethnicity
White
61%
Hispanic
17%
Black
8%
Asian
3%
Two or more
7%
Non-resident
1%
AI/AN
1%
Unknown
2%
Varsity sports

No data. This school isn't in the U.S. Department of Education's athletics (EADA) file, so we can't list its teams. That doesn't mean it has none.

Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs
After 6 yrs
$25,529
After 10 yrs
$37,032
Fine and Studio Arts62
Design and Applied Arts46
Graphic Communications25
Film/Video and Photographic Arts5
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies4
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$84M
Full-time faculty
46%
Faculty salary
$7,886/mo
Teaching spend
$12,837
per student
Federal loans
69%
Classification
Carnegie type
Special focus — arts, music & design
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, selective admissions

Wondering if Kansas City Art Institute is the right fit for you?

omhu 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
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