Paul Smith's College vs. PAFA

Should I go to Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science or Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Paul Smith's College 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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Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science vs. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts comparison
Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts College 3 College 4
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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Overview

Paul Smith's College PAFA
Location Paul Smiths, NY Philadelphia, PA
Setting Distant Rural Large City
Enrollment 597 141
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website paulsmiths.edu pafa.org
Team Colors                    

Costs

Paul Smith's College PAFA
Tuition (In State) $32,012 $43,000
Tuition (Out of State) $32,012 $43,000
Room & Board $16,106 $18,662
Avg Net Price $26,370 $45,518
Avg Grant Aid $24,536 $18,987
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Paul Smith's College PAFA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 939 192
Admitted 852 168
Acceptance Rate 90.7% 87.5%
Enrolled % 15.8% 10.7%
Avg High School GPA 2.8 -
Typical High School Grades B- -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
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, 2026

Academics

Paul Smith's College PAFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Natural Resources Conservation (34%)
  • Personal and Culinary Services (22%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

Paul Smith's College PAFA
Graduation Rate 37% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $22,000
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,500
Median Loan Payment $258 $274

Diversity

Paul Smith's College PAFA
% Men 1% 10%
% Women 1% 20%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 82% 61%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 1% 6%
% Unknown Race 8% 7%

Students

Paul Smith's College PAFA
% In-State 53% 72%
% Out-of-State 45% 17%

Campus

Paul Smith's College 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

  • Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (597 students vs. 141 students)

Paul Smith's College vs. PAFA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Paul Smith's College or PAFA?

  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is 34.3% more expensive to attend than Paul Smith's College for in-state tuition ($43,000.00 vs. $32,012.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 34.3% higher at PAFA than Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science ($43,000.00 vs. $32,012.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science than PAFA ($26,370 vs. $45,518)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science are 15.9% lower than costs at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($16,106 vs. $18,662)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science as Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science students is 29.2% larger than aid received Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($24,536 vs. $18,987)

Paul Smith's College vs. PAFA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Paul Smith's College has a higher acceptance rate (90.7%) than PAFA (87.5%)

Paul Smith's College vs. PAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Paul Smith's College 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 Paul Smith's College.

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science (73% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science earn on average $14,700 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($36,700 vs. $22,000)
  • Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science students graduate with a $1,500 lower median federal student loan debt than PAFA graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,500)
  • Paul Smith's College graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than PAFA graduates. ($258 vs. $274)
  • More Paul Smith's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PAFA students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 63%)

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