Founded in 1871, the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) is the oldest art school west of the Mississippi River and one of the oldest in the United States. It is is a non-profit, private higher education institute that offer an extensive selection of programs in the contemporary arts. SFAI’s main campus is located in the Russian Hill district in San Francisco, California. The institute’s graduate studies center is located in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood.
The San Francisco Art Institute offers Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Master of Arts (MA), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA)) degrees and Post-Baccalaureate certificates. SFAI also awards honorary PhDs. The institute’s current Dean of Academic Affairs is Jeannene Przyblyski and it’s accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
General Information
| General Phone: | (415) 771-7020 |
| Website URL: | www.sfai.edu |
| Type of Institution: | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above |
| Awards Offered: | BA/BS degrees Postbaccalaureate certificate MA/MS degrees |
| Campus setting: | City: Large |
| On-campus housing: | Yes |
| Student Population: | 765 (495 undergraduate) |
| Ratio of students to faculty: | 9 to 1 |
Tuition & Fees
| Estimated Expenses for Academic Year | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
| Tuition and fees | $28,455 | $30,196 | $31,350 | $33,294 | +6.20% |
| Books and Supplies | $2,125 | $1,566 | $1,638 | $1,620 | -1.10% |
| Living Arrangement – On Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $8,300 | $9,972 | $12,524 | $12,810 | +2.28% |
| Other | $2,805 | $2,970 | $3,042 | $3,146 | +3.42% |
| Living Arrangement – Off Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $8,300 | $9,972 | $12,524 | $12,810 | +2.28% |
| Other | $3,005 | $3,170 | $3,242 | $3,497 | +7.87% |
| Total Expenses | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
| In-state On Campus | $41,685 | $44,704 | $48,554 | $50,870 | +4.77% |
| In-state Off Campus | $41,885 | $44,904 | $48,754 | $51,221 | +5.06% |
| In-state with Family | $30,580 | $31,762 | $32,988 | $34,914 | +5.84% |
| Average Graduate School Tuition & Fees | |
| Tuition for In-state Students | $34,800 |
| In-state Student Fees | $435 |
| Tuition for Out-of-state Students | $34,800 |
| Out-of-state Student Fees | $435 |
Financial Aid
| Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students | ||||
| Type of Aid | Students | Percent | Amount | Average Per Student |
| All students financial aid | 56 | 95% | ||
| Grant or scholarship aid | 55 | 93% | $724,747 | $13,177 |
| • Federal grants | 22 | 37% | $117,560 | $5,344 |
| • Pell grants | 22 | 37% | $85,561 | $3,889 |
| • Other federal grants | 21 | 36% | $31,999 | $1,524 |
| Local and state government scholarships or grants | 4 | 7% | $14,361 | $3,590 |
| Institutional scholarships or grants | 55 | 93% | $592,826 | $10,779 |
| Student loan financial aid | 38 | 64% | $254,000 | $6,684 |
| • Federal student loans | 37 | 63% | $229,000 | $6,189 |
| • Other student loans | 1 | 2% | $25,000 | $25,000 |
All Degrees and Programs
| Program Completions for Most Recent Year | BA/BS | MA/MS | Doctor | AA/AS | CERT |
| Grand Total of All Programs | 85 | 102 | – | – | 14 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | 1 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Museology/Museum Studies | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| Social Sciences | 1 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 1 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 83 | 98 | – | – | 14 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 1 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Cinematography and Film/Video Production | 6 | 10 | – | – | – |
| Design and Visual Communications, General | 6 | 3 | – | – | – |
| Painting | 25 | 33 | – | – | 4 |
| Photography | 18 | 20 | – | – | 8 |
| Printmaking | 4 | 4 | – | – | – |
| Sculpture | 6 | 7 | – | – | 1 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | 17 | 19 | – | – | 1 |
Above data represent first majors only.
(-) Indicates that program is not offered at this award level.
*We do not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.