CCS vs. PAFA

Should I go to College for Creative Studies or Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CCS or PAFA is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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College for Creative Studies vs. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts comparison
College for Creative Studies Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts College 3 College 4
College for Creative Studies Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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Overview

 CCS PAFA
Location Detroit, MI Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 1,517 172
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website collegeforcreativestudies.edu pafa.org
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CCS PAFA
Tuition (In State) $48,030 $40,500
Tuition (Out of State) $48,030 $40,500
Room & Board $8,850 $17,512
Avg Net Price $34,906 $48,191
Avg Grant Aid $24,307 $16,087
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 80%

Admission

 CCS PAFA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,622 183
Admitted 798 167
Acceptance Rate 49.2% 91.3%
Enrolled % 32.6% 11.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.19 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 CCS PAFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (87%)
  • Communications Technology (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

 CCS PAFA
Graduation Rate 57% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,100 $22,000
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $274

Diversity

 CCS PAFA
% Men 36% 31%
% Women 64% 69%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 58% 61%
% Black 10% 5%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 7% 6%
% Unknown Race 11% 7%

Students

 CCS PAFA
% In-State 76% 53%
% Out-of-State 20% 42%

Campus

 CCS PAFA
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • College for Creative Studies is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (1,517 students vs. 172 students)

CCS vs. PAFA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CCS or PAFA?

  • College for Creative Studies is 18.6% more expensive to attend than PAFA for in-state tuition ($48,030.00 vs. $40,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.6% higher at CCS than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($48,030.00 vs. $40,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at College for Creative Studies than PAFA ($34,906 vs. $48,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at College for Creative Studies are 97.9% lower than costs at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($8,850 vs. $17,512)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College for Creative Studies than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (97% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College for Creative Studies students is 51.1% larger than aid received Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($24,307 vs. $16,087)

CCS vs. PAFA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CCS or PAFA? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between PAFA or CCS .

  • PAFA has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than CCS (49.2%)

CCS vs. PAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CCS or PAFA? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between PAFA and CCS.

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than College for Creative Studies (73% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from College for Creative Studies earn on average $24,100 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($46,100 vs. $22,000)
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than CCS graduates. ($26,500 vs. $27,000)
  • PAFA graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than CCS graduates. ($274 vs. $279)
  • More PAFA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CCS students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 60%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/