Cleveland Institute of Art

Private · Moderately Selective · OH

Photo: Daderot (Public Domain)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationOH · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads539

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate49.1%

6-yr grad rate57.7%

Drop-out rate12.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$49k

Out-of-state tuition$49k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity37.7%

Gender diversity74%

International0.7%

Identity—

Overview

The Cleveland Institute of Art is a private college of art and design founded in 1882, located in Cleveland's University Circle — the city's concentrated museum, orchestra, and university district. It is one of the older independent art colleges in the country and has built a specific reputation in industrial and product design.

Academics

Industrial design, illustration, and game design are its signature strengths, with industrial design in particular benefiting from long-standing ties to product-design employers in the Cleveland and broader Midwest manufacturing corridor. Classes are small and studio-based, as is standard at independent art colleges, with faculty who are practicing designers and artists.

Campus & student life

University Circle puts CIA within walking distance of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Orchestra's Severance Hall, and Case Western Reserve University, with which it shares some cross-registration and campus resources. The Institute also operates the Cinematheque, a well-regarded art-film theater that is a genuine cultural resource for students, not just a student club.

Getting in

As with most independent art colleges, a portfolio is central to admission for nearly every program, and portfolio strength and demonstrated studio commitment typically matter more than test scores.

After graduation

Industrial design graduates place well with regional and national product-design and manufacturing employers, while illustration and game design alumni move into publishing, entertainment, and game studios; the design-employer connections built through University Circle and Cleveland's manufacturing history are a real advantage of this specific program.

Worth knowing

The University Circle location is unusual for an art college this size — students have walking-distance access to a major encyclopedic art museum and a top orchestra, resources most independent art schools cannot offer directly.

cia.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate61.4%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 980–1280 · ACT 23–29

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying