Plaza College vs. NCA

Comparable Facts

Compare Plaza College in Forest Hills, NY with Northwest College of Art & Design in Tacoma, WA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Plaza College is larger than NCA based on total student enrollment (1,002 students vs. 139 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Plaza College is located in Forest Hills, NY (Large City setting); Northwest College of Art & Design is in Tacoma, WA (Rural Fringe setting).
• Plaza College is a private, for-profit 4-year institution. Northwest College of Art & Design is a private, for-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Plaza College 28:1; Northwest College of Art & Design 34:1.

Plaza College vs. NCA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Plaza College or NCA? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwest College of Art & Design than Plaza College ($14,818 vs. $19,860).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwest College of Art & Design are 0.7% lower than at Plaza College ($15,384 vs. $15,500).
• Northwest College of Art & Design is 17.2% more expensive for in-state tuition than Plaza College (about $2,650 more per year; $18,100.00 vs. $15,450.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 17.2% higher at NCA than at Plaza College (about $2,650 more per year; $18,100.00 vs. $15,450.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Plaza College than at Northwest College of Art & Design (93% vs. 87%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Northwest College of Art & Design students is 116.1% larger than aid received by Plaza College students ($14,406 vs. $6,665).

Plaza College vs. NCA Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Plaza College or NCA? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between NCA and Plaza College.

• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Plaza College - Test-free; NCA - Test-free.
• NCA has a higher acceptance rate (66%) than Plaza College (30%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 54.9% at Plaza College vs. 40.6% at NCA.

Plaza College vs. NCA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Plaza College and NCA? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from Northwest College of Art & Design earn a median of about $2,300 more per year than Plaza College graduates about ten years after starting college ($29,600 vs. $27,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Plaza College graduates have a $17,085 lower median loan debt than NCA graduates ($13,915 vs. $31,000).
• Among borrowers, Plaza College graduates have an estimated $177 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than NCA graduates ($143 vs. $320).
• More NCA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Plaza College students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 30%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.