NYSID vs. PAFA

Should I go to New York School of Interior Design or Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if NYSID 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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New York School of Interior Design vs. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts comparison
New York School of Interior Design Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts College 3 College 4
New York School of Interior Design Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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Overview

 NYSID PAFA
Location New York, NY Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 593 141
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nysid.edu pafa.org
Team Colors                    

Costs

 NYSID PAFA
Tuition (In State) $29,280 $43,000
Tuition (Out of State) $29,280 $43,000
Room & Board $21,600 $18,662
Avg Net Price $39,155 $45,518
Avg Grant Aid $6,325 $18,987
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 100%

Admission

 NYSID PAFA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 179 192
Admitted 108 168
Acceptance Rate 60.3% 87.5%
Enrolled % 29.6% 10.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 NYSID PAFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

 NYSID PAFA
Graduation Rate 86% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,200 $22,000
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $26,500
Median Loan Payment N/A $274

Diversity

 NYSID PAFA
% Men 4% 10%
% Women 22% 20%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 48% 61%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 9% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 14% 6%
% Unknown Race 20% 7%

Students

 NYSID PAFA
% In-State 47% 72%
% Out-of-State 34% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • New York School of Interior Design is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (593 students vs. 141 students)

NYSID vs. PAFA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, NYSID or PAFA?

  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is 46.9% more expensive to attend than NYSID for in-state tuition ($43,000.00 vs. $29,280.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46.9% higher at PAFA than New York School of Interior Design ($43,000.00 vs. $29,280.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at New York School of Interior Design than PAFA ($39,155 vs. $45,518)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts are 15.7% lower than costs at New York School of Interior Design ($18,662 vs. $21,600)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts than New York School of Interior Design (100% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students is 200.2% larger than aid received New York School of Interior Design ($18,987 vs. $6,325)

NYSID vs. PAFA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • PAFA has a higher acceptance rate (87.5%) than NYSID (60.3%)

NYSID vs. PAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, NYSID 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 NYSID.

  • The graduation rate at NYSID is higher than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (86% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from New York School of Interior Design earn on average $26,200 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($48,200 vs. $22,000)
  • More PAFA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NYSID students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 61%)

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