Northwest College
of Art & Design
For-profit College in Tacoma, WA. Six-year graduation rate 58%. Median 10-year earnings $31,167.
Students who entered Northwest College of Art & Design reach a median of $31,167 a decade later, a figure that trails the typical four-year outcome. Six-year completion sits at 58%, near the national average for undergraduate institutions. Graduates leave owing a median of $30,750 — a substantial load to service on these earnings.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
- ! Debt-to-income ratio 0.99 — elevated (above 0.60)
Admissions
66% of applicants get in, so the odds favor most reasonably prepared students. Only 97 students applied, so treat these rates as directional — small pools swing sharply between cycles. A 41% yield rate puts this school in the upper range for admits who follow through.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Northwest College of Art & Design →Academics
58% graduate within six years — average, but that average still hides a large group who do not. First-year retention is 77% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. Retention and graduation track closely, so most of the attrition shows up in the first year rather than after it. At 34:1, instructor access is thin — worth probing on a campus visit. As a for-profit four-year institution, outcomes here deserve a harder look than the sector average suggests: for-profit institutions vary enormously, and the sector's aggregate numbers hide both strong and very weak performers.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 150 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $14,818 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. The income table below is the number that matters — $12,977 at $0–30k versus $29,101 at $110k+. About 77% get grants averaging $12,561, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. About 48% borrow federally, roughly the national pattern.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 55 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,977 |
| $30–48k | $11,857 |
| $48–75k | $17,146 |
| $75–110k | $24,031 |
| $110k+ | $29,101 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 72 of these 150 students, totalling $486,700 — an average of $6,760 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Pierce County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)