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Kansas City, MO · Private · 812 undergraduates · urban

Kansas City Art Institute

Moderately selective

A focused BFA environment located directly within Kansas City's museum and arts district.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Regionally focused Solid in academic standing, and steady in mobility.
Academic Solid Affordability Emerging Career Emerging Mobility Steady Experience Steady
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Emerging
Career outcomes Emerging
Mobility Steady
Student experience Steady
Admission
60.4% admitted

1,097 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
60.2%

$37,032 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Kansas City Art Institute apart

Academic design

Students begin with foundation work before moving into majors such as animation, illustration, graphic design, painting, photography, product design, sculpture, ceramics, and related studio areas.

Campus pattern

The campus sits near Kansas City's major art institutions, giving students access to museums, galleries, design organizations, internships, and a broader creative community.

Defining feature

A focused BFA environment located directly within Kansas City's museum and arts district.

Can I get in?

60.4% admitted

Undergraduate admission requires a portfolio, which is a central part of the artistic review.

Recent applicant pool

1,097

About 60 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 60.4%
Entering class

Record over scores

No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.

Return for a second year77.1%
Finish the degree60.2%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Kansas City Art Institute, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Kansas City Art Institute weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Students begin with foundation work before moving into majors such as animation, illustration, graphic design, painting, photography, product design, sculpture, ceramics, and related studio areas.

02

Make the fit specific

A focused BFA environment located directly within Kansas City's museum and arts district.

03

Account for the tradeoff

Undergraduate admission requires a portfolio, which is a central part of the artistic review.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Undergraduate admission requires a portfolio, which is a central part of the artistic review.

Application routeInstitution application

No application fee recorded

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$59,300
Average annual cost after aid$28,000
Affordability profileEmerging

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Kansas City Art Institute

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

A focused BFA environment located directly within Kansas City's museum and arts district.

Complete within 8 years60.2%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one77.1%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$37,032

Reported 10 years after enrollment

What is campus life like?

Kansas City Art Institute beyond the classroom

The campus sits near Kansas City's major art institutions, giving students access to museums, galleries, design organizations, internships, and a broader creative community.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Students begin with foundation work before moving into majors such as animation, illustration, graphic design, painting, photography, product design, sculpture, ceramics, and related studio areas.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The campus sits near Kansas City's major art institutions, giving students access to museums, galleries, design organizations, internships, and a broader creative community.

Distinctive edge

What changes the experience

A focused BFA environment located directly within Kansas City's museum and arts district.

812 undergraduatesMidwesturban settingPrimarily off-campus housing