Program Payoff

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, California. 23 certificate and associate programs, private, for-profit. 23 of them report what graduates earn; for the rest, the figure below is what the occupation pays in California.

ProgramCredentialMedian debtGraduates earnThe occupation pays
Design and Applied Arts Associate's degree $31,937 $31,236 (77) $100,690
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
Graphic Communications Associate's degree $28,019 (11) $47,010
Data Entry Keyers
Film/Video and Photographic Arts Associate's degree $32,187 $24,562 (61) $129,790
Producers and Directors
Apparel and Textiles Associate's degree $18,828 not published $94,700
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
Computer Software and Media Applications Associate's degree $31,211 not published $174,410
Software Developers
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree not published $64,620
Audio and Video Technicians
Communication and Media Studies Undergraduate certificate not published $85,030
Public Relations Specialists
Computer Software and Media Applications Undergraduate certificate not published $174,410
Software Developers
Design and Applied Arts Undergraduate certificate not published $100,690
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians Undergraduate certificate not published $76,520
Architectural and Civil Drafters
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree not published $76,520
Architectural and Civil Drafters
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Associate's degree not published $129,790
Producers and Directors
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services Associate's degree not published $94,700
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
Film/Video and Photographic Arts Undergraduate certificate not published $129,790
Producers and Directors
Fine and Studio Arts Undergraduate certificate not published $101,370
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Fine and Studio Arts Associate's degree not published $101,370
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Graphic Communications Undergraduate certificate not published $47,010
Data Entry Keyers
Journalism Associate's degree not published $98,030
Editors
Landscape Architecture Associate's degree not published $210,280
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Music Associate's degree not published $101,370
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations Associate's degree not published $76,490
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree not published $64,980
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Visual and Performing Arts, General Associate's degree not published $75,130
Graphic Designers

"Graduates earn" is the median two years after completing, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10; the number in brackets is how many graduates it covers. A dash means the Department has not published a figure — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates — and never that the figure is zero. "The occupation pays" is the state median for the occupation the program leads to, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, and describes everyone in that job rather than graduates of this school.