SMFA vs. PAFA

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

 SMFA PAFA
Location Boston, MA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 492 172
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smfa.edu pafa.org
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SMFA PAFA
Tuition (In State) $39,928 $40,500
Tuition (Out of State) $39,928 $40,500
Room & Board $14,850 $17,512
Avg Net Price $39,340 $48,191
Avg Grant Aid $15,629 $16,087
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 80%

Admission

 SMFA PAFA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 318 183
Admitted 258 167
Acceptance Rate 81.1% 91.3%
Enrolled % 15.5% 11.4%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Neither required nor recommended Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 SMFA PAFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 0:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

 SMFA PAFA
Graduation Rate 55% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $34,300 $22,000
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,500
Median Loan Payment $268 $274

Diversity

 SMFA PAFA
% Men 0% 31%
% Women 0% 69%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 49% 61%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 14% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 12% 6%
% Unknown Race 15% 7%

Students

 SMFA PAFA
% In-State - 53%
% Out-of-State - 42%

Campus

 SMFA 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

  • School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is larger than than PAFA based on total student enrollment (492 students vs. 172 students)

SMFA vs. PAFA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SMFA or PAFA?

  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is 1.4% more expensive to attend than SMFA for in-state tuition ($40,500.00 vs. $39,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.4% higher at PAFA than School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston ($40,500.00 vs. $39,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston than PAFA ($39,340 vs. $48,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston are 17.9% lower than costs at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($14,850 vs. $17,512)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (100% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students is 2.9% larger than aid received School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston ($16,087 vs. $15,629)

SMFA vs. PAFA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • PAFA has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than SMFA (81.1%)

SMFA vs. PAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SMFA 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 SMFA.

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (73% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston earn on average $12,300 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($34,300 vs. $22,000)
  • School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than PAFA graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,500)
  • SMFA graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than PAFA graduates. ($268 vs. $274)
  • More PAFA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMFA students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 62%)

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