San Francisco Art Institute
Location and Contact Information
800 Chestnut StSan Francisco, CA 94133-2299
USA
Main Tel: (415) 771-7020
Web Site
The campus is in a large city.
Overview
The San Francisco Art Institute, SFAI, traces its roots to the San Francisco Art Association which was founded in 1871. The association established San Francisco School of Design in 1874, which was renamed California School of Design in 1893. This school was destroyed by a fire in 1906, and rebuilt a year later as the San Francisco Institute of Art. In 1916, it was renamed California School of Fine Arts, and was finally christened San Francisco Art Institute in 1961. The main campus of SFAI is located in San Francisco, California. The institute also operates the Graduate Center in San Francisco.
San Francisco Art Institute awards the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Fine Arts degrees. Students can also opt for post-baccalaureate certificate programs. Courses are available in the fields of contemporary art, exhibition and museum studies, urban studies, painting, photography, sculpture, and film, among others. SFAI has under it the following 2 schools:
- School of Interdisciplinary Studies
- School of Studio Practice
Students of SFAI are members of various clubs and organizations like the Alternative Media Coalition, Art After Hours, the Gamers Club, Juicy Jews, Productive Publishing Club, the Shaved Apes Motorcycle Club, Tea Drinkers Anonymous, and the Indigenous Arts Coalition. Among the famous alumni are Gutzon Borglum, creator of Mount Rushmore; Courtney Love, rock musician and actress; Rea Irvin, art editor of The New Yorker; Kathryn Bigelow, film director; and Ronald Davis, painter.
Highlights (vs. Other Schools)
- Many students concentrating in fine arts, photography and commercial art, drama and performing arts, and design.
- High percentage of students are from out-of-state.
- Large number of programs of study offered.
- Number of dorm rooms for students.
School characteristics:
- The school is private, not-for-profit.
- Academic calender: Semester.
- Carnegie classification: Schools of art, music, and design.
Features of note:
- The school offers a faculty tenure system.
- There are one or more libraries on-campus.
- Campus housing is available.
- Students may study abroad.
- Part-time classes are available.
Tuition and Financial Aid (2009-2010)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State Tuition and fees | $ 31,350 |
| Room | $ 9,050 |
| Board | $ 3,474 |
| Books and supplies | $ 1,638 |
| Other | $ 3,042 |
Financial Aid
San Francisco Art Institute participates in US Title IV financial assistance programs.
In 2009-2010, 95% of students received financial aid of some sort.
| Grants | % of Students | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Any Grant | 93% | $13,177 |
| Institutional Grant | 93% | $10,779 |
| Federal Grant | 37% | $5,344 |
| Pell Grant | 37% | $3,889 |
| Other Federal Grant | 36% | $1,524 |
| State or Local Grant | 7% | $3,590 |
| Loans | % of Students | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Student Loan | 64% | $6,684 |
| Federal Loan | 63% | $6,189 |
| Other Loan | 2% | $25,000 |
(Please refer to BrainTrack's financial aid articles section for background information.)
Similar Schools
Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to San Francisco Art Institute:
Click a column header to sort.
| School | Location | Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine College of Art | Portland, ME | 369 |
| 2 | Corcoran College of Art and Design | Washington, DC | 942 |
| 3 | Art Academy of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | 167 |
| 4 | Kansas City Art Institute | Kansas City, MO | 665 |
| 5 | Montserrat College of Art | Beverly, MA | 278 |
| 6 | Delaware College of Art and Design | Wilmington, DE | 220 |
| 7 | Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts | Old Lyme, CT | 128 |
| 8 | Oregon College of Art and Craft | Portland, OR | 140 |
| 9 | Marylhurst University | Marylhurst, OR | 1,802 |
| 10 | California College of the Arts | Oakland, CA | 1,710 |
Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)
| Degree | Total Earned | Different Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Master | 100 | 10 |
| Bachelor | 72 | 10 |
| Postbaccalaureate certificate | 9 | 7 |
Faculty
Tenure (2009-2010):
| Full-Time Faculty | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| With tenure | 23 | |
| Without tenure; working toward tenure | 4 | |
| Without tenure; tenure not available | 1 |
Students
Student enrollment was 601 in 2009-2010 (641 full-time equivalent).
About 43% of the freshmen class in 2009-2010 was male and women were 57% of the class.
Undergrads are 65% of enrolled students and graduate students are 35%.
Students under 25 years old represent 48% of the student body. About 6% of the school is at least 40 years of age.
Admissions Summary (2009-2010)
Applicants Admitted Men 93% Women 94% All 94%
SAT Test Scores:
SAT Middle 50% Verbal 430-600 Math 450-580 Writing 450-600
Room and Board
San Francisco Art Institute provides on-campus housing for 115 of its 641 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010). The school requires freshmen to live on campus.
Graduate School Focus
San Francisco Art Institute offers graduate (post-Bachelor) studies. The highest degree offered is the Master.
Programs of Study
(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)
DESIGN
- Design and Visual Communications
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
- Visual and Performing Arts
FINE ARTS
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation
- Painting
- Sculpture
LIBERAL ARTS
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Museology/Museum Studies
- Urban Studies/Affairs
PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production
- Photography
- Printmaking