Skip to content
Best College Rankings

Private nonprofit · Urban campus · verified rankings · federal data

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

Students comparing Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

CompareOfficial site
Milwaukee, Wisconsin837 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 56Private nonprofitSmall enrollmentUrban campus

The short answer

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design: Niche ranks it #1458 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 837 undergraduates, admits 60.5% of applicants, and posts a 67.0% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $43,743; aid recipients pay $26,541 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $41,174.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
60.5%

Below the dataset median of 76%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$26,541

51% below the $54,698 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$41,174

Below the dataset median of $54,053

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
67.0%

Above the dataset median of 56%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

Below the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
Not reportedMilwaukee Institute of Art & Design did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Where Milwaukee Institute ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026National universities, liberal arts, regional and specialty listsNot ranked by this source
Forbes2026America's Top CollegesNot ranked by this source
Washington Monthly2026Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) DollarsNot ranked by this source
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.Not ranked by this source
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)#1458of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value CollegesNot ranked by this source
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University RankingsNot ranked by this source

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About Milwaukee Institute

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is a private nonprofit institution in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Federal data show 79.5% first-year retention and a 11:1 student-faculty ratio. Figures on this page come from College Scorecard and IPEDS; publisher rankings shown here are transcribed from named sources and checked in our dataset.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Cost and outcome metrics on this profile come directly from federal collections, not self-reported marketing sheets.
  • Net price $26,541 reflects what aid recipients actually paid in the most recent federal reporting year.

Considerations

  • This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
  • Compare $54,698 sticker cost against $26,541 net price before ruling a school in or out on price alone.
  • Publishers we have not loaded yet, or lists that omit this school, show as “not ranked by this source” — that is expected.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students comparing Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

Tuition & fees
$43,743

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Undergraduates on Pell grants
37.3%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardShare of undergraduates, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$10,955

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $54,698 a year, but the average family pays $26,541 — a 51% difference. 37.3% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run Milwaukee Institute's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Business
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Computer Science
  5. 5Economics

Standout programs

    Student-faculty ratio
    11:1

    IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

    First-year retention
    79.5%

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Undergraduate enrollment
    837

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Milwaukee Institute: questions families ask

    Out-of-state tuition is $43,743 and on-campus room and board is $10,955, for a published total of $54,698 before aid. The average net price for first-time full-time students receiving aid is $26,541.

    The most recent federal admissions rate reported to the Department of Education is 60.5%. Test policy as reported in IPEDS: see the admissions section on this page for the institution's own category.

    Similar colleges

    Matched on institutional character, overlapping majors and comparable cross-source standing.

    North Central College

    Naperville, ILPrivate nonprofit

    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

    North Central College: U.S. News ranks it #19 on Regional Universities (Midwest) (2026); Forbes ranks it #458 on America's Top Colleges (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #1299 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #914 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026); Money lists it on Best Value Colleges (2026) — 3.5 stars. It enrolls 2,428 undergraduates, admits 77.3% of applicants, and posts a 64.0% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $45,726; aid recipients pay $21,044 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $60,123.

    Acceptance rate
    77.3%
    Average net price
    $21,044
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $60,123
    6-yr graduation rate
    64.0%
    US News · Regional univ. (Midwest)#19 of 165Forbes · Top colleges (Forbes)#458 of 500Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#1299 of 1,504+2 more on profile

    2,428 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 56 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

    Saint Ambrose University

    Davenport, IAPrivate nonprofit

    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

    Saint Ambrose University: U.S. News ranks it #352 on National Universities (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #737 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #917 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026); Money lists it on Best Value Colleges (2026) — 3.5 stars. It enrolls 1,916 undergraduates, admits 77.3% of applicants, and posts a 61.0% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $36,658; aid recipients pay $24,691 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $59,531.

    Acceptance rate
    77.3%
    Average net price
    $24,691
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $59,531
    6-yr graduation rate
    61.0%
    US News · National universities#352 of 436Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#737 of 1,504Niche · Overall (Niche)#917 of 2,605+1 more on profile

    1,916 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 55 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

    Rockford University

    Rockford, ILPrivate nonprofit

    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

    Rockford University: U.S. News ranks it #131 on Regional Universities (Midwest) (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #965 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #716 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 972 undergraduates, admits 92.9% of applicants, and posts a 47.2% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $37,780; aid recipients pay $22,436 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $54,794.

    Acceptance rate
    92.9%
    Average net price
    $22,436
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $54,794
    6-yr graduation rate
    47.2%
    US News · Regional univ. (Midwest)#131 of 165Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#965 of 1,504Niche · Overall (Niche)#716 of 2,605

    972 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 57 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

    Compare Milwaukee Institute against these