The Art Institutes
Locations: New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Cincinnati, others (over 40 locations)
Degrees: Associate's, Bachelor's
Programs: Audio Production, Video Production, Film Production, Graphic Design, Game Design, Culinary Arts, Interior Design and more
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With over 40 locations throughout the United States and Canada (including New York, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and many others), The Art Institutes offer a wide range of associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs in fields that include Audio and Film Production, Game Design, Animation/Special FX, Interactive Media, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Fashion, Culinary Arts and others. Specific degree programs are location based, and not every location offers every subject.
Because the programs of The Art Institutes are career-specific, an Associates Degree can generally be completed in under two years (7 quarters) and a Bachelors in about three years (12 quarters). Total tuition costs vary by location and degree plan, and while they are less expensive overall than most major universities, you should still expect to pay approximately $60,000 total for an associate’s degree, and around $90,000 for a bachelor’s degree.
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Student Reviews
With over 40 locations throughout the United States and Canada (including New York, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and many others), The Art Institutes offer a wide range of associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs in fields that include Audio and Film Production, Game Design, Animation/Special FX, Interactive Media, Interior Design, Graphic [...]
Review by Kathryn I.
February 11, 2012 3I’m currently a full time student at the Art Institute of Austin, but I’m just not feeling the whole “college thing”, see society puts so much pressure about people going to college, when really college is a personal choice I think.
I’m fortunate not to have any student debt, but my boyfriend Steven is in debt and he has been butting heads with the whole school thing, see we’re artists/ hippies and well we don’t really do the whole college thing, he took out almost 90,000$ and he feel like he is getting no where, he feels like he can learn better outside of school and I think so as well
But yes, I would do it all over again because this is where I met the love of my life
Debt Accrued: Less than $5,000
Found work after graduation? No
Review by Ed C.
February 4, 2012 2I went to the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Graduated in June 2005 with a degree in video production.
I loved going to school and learning the movie making process. I had expectations of going to school, getting a degree, moving to Hollywood and becoming a famous director. However, I found myself graduating, staying in the area, not finding work, and doing whatever I could to stay involved in the video production business.
After graduating I found it extremely hard trying to find a job in the industry. I had several interviews with companies and the same answer I always got was “not enough experience”. Trying to find a job in the industry was too hard, so I decided that I would have to make money doing whatever I could to stay involved in video production. In 2006 I started a video production company specializing in weddings. From 2006-2009, I basically shot 10-15 weddings for free for family and friends. I then used that footage and sent it to several production companies in the area and slowly began to make contacts. Since 2009 I have been working for 6 different companies shooting weddings throughout the Philadelphia area. I have built a good reputation based on my shooting style. I still have a full time job Monday-Friday because the work is not consistent.
If you are interested in the industry and learning how to edit and shoot I would definitely recommend film school. I don’t think they prepare you for how competitive and hard it is to get into the industry though.
Debt Accrued: $10,001 - $25,000
Found work after graduation? Yes
Review by Robin B.
January 22, 2012 1I started going to the Art Institute of Tampa in florida in 2008. At that time I didn’t know anything about colleges or film. During my time at the school I also started working for the school. I wasn’t happy about my education there because I felt they just wanted our money and they aren’t focused on giving a proper or even an educated education. My editing teacher didn’t know the final cut program….he told me to figure it out myself. I asked him why was I paying $2000,00 for a class I had to figure our myself? Once I started working for the school I actually heard several arguments from higher ups…..forcing teachers to teach classes they didn’t know. One of the teachers actually quite because of it. 2 years in I decided to save money and quit that school and moved here to L.A. to get into the business the right way. While being here I have worked as an intern at a production company and have gotten lots of information and one bit of info was that no matter what degree you have, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.
Several of the interns I worked with have Bachelors in Film, have gotten not one job in the film industry, still have to start out at the bottom and are still instructed to take classes from legitimate company’s in the film industry. There are to many for profit schools taking your money you can’t file bankruptcy on and then giving an education that the industry will only laugh at. I could go on and on. I am very passionate about the truth coming out about our college system and how we aren’t being educated properly but they certainly want our money, which you then have to pay back even if you can’t get a job in the industry you just worked years to get into. Ugh…could go on!!!
Review by Joe P.
November 26, 2011 3.8I dropped out of college in my fourth year and transferred to the New England Institute of Art in Boston. While there I majored in Audio Production and Studio Engineering where I ended up graduating with an Associates degree. While there you have the option to receive your bachelors but I had already started getting work so I thought it was unnecessary to attend for another 18 months. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA.
During the first week of class they pulled me out to go to the administrative building to discuss my student loans. A.I. is a private institute and does not give scholarships. When I got to the office I was informed of how I did not have enough credit to acquire the loans from Sallie Mae. In order to stay in school, I had to apply for private loans through a bank, which had a higher interest rate and more rules and restrictions regarding consolidation. I took out the loans and before I had even finished my 18 month program, Sallie Mae bought my loans from the bank and I am now over $50.000 in debt to a company that would not allow me to take out a loan with them.
AI was open 24/hours a day when I attended. I got an apartment within 10 minutes walking distance from the school. Needless to say I spent as much time in there as possible. The instruction was ok. A few of the teachers were really good due to their real life studio experiences but the majority of the teachers never worked in a major studio or just had teaching degrees to go along with their engineering degrees. You had to really want to get something out of the program. I was fortunate that a few doors opened up and I was willing to walk through them.
After graduation, I interned at Quad Recording in Manhattan, so that has allowed me to get some work. Most of the time you are more likely to freelance and get some artists who trust you with their music. I have worked for the last 5 years as Mobb Deep’s engineer in Queens, as well as the acting manager of the studio. I have been able to work with a lot of big acts due to my affiliation with Mobb Deep, but it hasn’t been an easy job. Along with brazen divaness inherent with any artists, there seems to always be financial issues, technical issues, chronological issues, etc. I has been rewarding, but you have to be a certain type of individual in order to understand the rewards.
I would recommend AI, but only under certain conditions. They would have to have a clear financial understanding of what they are about to get themselves into. Also they have to understand that being an engineer is just the same as being a musician. You have to work hard and be talented. You are more essential to the art than most realize, but then again, you are not the star, and that is something that YOU have to realize. It is not a job, it is a lifestyle.
When I started I knew absolutely nothing when pertaining to engineering. I had no contacts, no experience, just desire. The music industry is unfortunately all about who you know, and not what you know. If one were ingrained inside the industry already then I would definitely taken an easier route, but this is the only one that was available to me personally, so I would do it again because I would have too.
Review by LaShawn C.
November 25, 2011 1I attended The Art Institute of Washington for awhile but dropped out early on. I still have $2800 in student debt. The school truly disappointed me. I haven’t found work, wouldn’t recommend them to anyone and wish I had never gone there.
Review by Franklin P.
November 21, 2011 1I chose that school to study film and digital production. After 2 years and 3 months of hard – work and a passion of storytelling but not just writing stories, directing actors as well, I had to drop out of school in December 2009. It was the worst year of my life but my most important of all. I dropped out with 133 credits and an overall GPA of 2.6, where I pulled a GPA 3.2 for the last fall quarter. I received a letter in August of 2009 from my the bank that they needed to verify the approved co-signer whom it was my deaf mother.
So, my school was asking for money and I didn’t have no choice, no loans, I didn’t what to do, so I dropped out and the president of the school didn’t care because it wasn’t her problem. I quote, “It’s not my problem, it’s the bank, sort it out with them.” So, I dropped out with a balance at the school and a huge debt. I was supposed to graduate in July 2010 with my friends. We made a promise that we’re gonna make a movie after we graduate and it never happened.
Til this day, I do not recommend my school to one. I’m in huge debt of over $100,000 and leaving my mother hanging off the wall because she cosigned one private loan during my first year in college, so she is part of this mess as well. Sometimes, I wish I can do it all over again but I leave this to God and I believe in him a lot because he motivated me to move to Los Angeles and I’m doing my best to succeed as a filmmaker and actor. I haven’t landed anything big in film but I got casted for Halloween Horror Nights 2011 at Universal Studios Hollywood as a scare actor, so this is my first professional role in entertainment.
It was a seasonal gig and it was cool experience. So, I’m an AGVA actor besides an non-aftra, non-sag extra. So, I guess God is pushing me to work harder than ever to succeed as a filmmaker because this industry is all about networking. My goal is to become a film director and I am proud of the 4 shorts I made at Art Institute Miami International University of Art & Design but I am not proud of what they have done to me and it’s very corrupted. Sometimes I have dreams about creating a charity or organization for young filmmakers who want to succeed and have bigger dreams than ever.
Review by Bob I.
November 18, 2011 1At first, I really wanted a creative education at Ai. DO NOT ATTEND THIS SCHOOL for they are money hungry Sharks!! As I progressed through the enrollment process, I discovered very quickly that what was BEST for ME was NOT important. Because I had personal issues that made it impossible for me to start school when they wanted, they HOUNDED me with so many nasty phone calls, especially from the Director of Admissions, that it made me cry. I was told by her that if I didn’t start school when they wanted, I COULD NOT ATTEND Ai. I later found out that it was a lie and was just a tactic to get me to start school sooner than what was BEST for me. Once I signed all the paperwork, most everyone, except my admissions rep, was so pushy and unfriendly. I am the customer. I thought, why are they treating me in such a negative way. I found out later from students who attended Ai-Cincinnati that there was an EXTREME amount of turnover in all departments: instructors, executive management, admissions and EVERY other deparment they have there. That by itself says something about a business when so many employees leave in all departments. Ai-Cincinnati is a terrible school with mean people. *** BEWARE ***
Review by Jay C.
November 11, 2011 2.5I attended The Art Institute of Philadelphia between the years of 2005-2009 at which time I lived in Philadelphia and worked on various short film and video projects.
I graduated in the spring of 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Production, moved back in with my parents for a few years to save money because loan payments were coming faster then job offers. Right now have student debt that now probably hovers around $35,000-$40,000 but i have already been paying this off for 2 years so originally it was higher.
I enjoyed my time at school. I learned techniques and met people that I wouldn’t have otherwise but MOST things in the film and music industries are learned on the job and in the field. I feel that I learned more on my first official run on a crew for a TV series then I did the entire 3+ years I attended school.
Moving to NYC definitely helped just out of the sheer volume of work that occurs in NYC as opposed to Philadelphia.
I guess I feel that school teaches you techniques and basics and jargon for your industry but i can assure no one on a TV/Film shoot is EVER going to ask you what school you attended. The proof is in your work, not in a piece of paper that’s framed and hanging at your parents house.
As far as the college experience I had a good time. But if I would have just jumped right into TV/Film straight out of high school and started Production Assisting then I would be much further along in my career now. In this field work experience and word of mouth recommendations / networking will always trump schooling. The information you gain on the job is far more important than what you learn in the classroom. I’m not saying you don’t learn anything in class, it’s just that you never really know how to put that info to use until you are out in the field.
Review by Alice B.
November 4, 2011 1This is the worst school ever! They hold back promising students so that the students that are “popular” with administration can get ahead! If I was going to choose a college FIDM would have been my choice after going to this school! Do NOT WASTE TIME AND A LOT OF MONEY TO GO TO THIS SCHOOL! Complete rip off!
Review by Russell C.
July 19, 2011 1I also would give this school(school used loosely) a negative rating if possible don’t give them a chance to start their hard sell telemarketing scam on you! They will harrass you until you enroll and your time (and money) spent there will be useless. They will not give you credit for classes you finish if you want to start a second degree program, they will say you have to take new classes(that you already finished, again) NONE of your credits will transfer to a new REAL college or school. Their Financial Aid dept is set up to get you money that they will take as fast as they can. Their advisors are nothing more than telemarketers! They will assign you to classes that say no pre-requisite and you really need a pre-requisite or prior expierence or you will fail. You will get good grades that mean NOTHING to the industry! Think before you call because they will keep calling to get you to sign up with them even if you are already attending!!! They still call me and say I asked for info, and I have been there for 1 year! They will do anything to get you in and your degree will be useless! Go to a REAL college not owned by EDMC!!!!
Review by Nina B.
May 31, 2011 2.5Their adult continuing education courses are on the expensive side ($400 + materials), but man, are they worth it!! The instructors are superb, particularly Sarah Stolar, who was inspirational in her passion for artwork. I especially like the fact that they incorporate professional models into some of the classes, so that one can learn to draw the figure properly. They also try to build a sense of community by having an adult continuing education art exhibit at the end of the semester. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to build upon their skill set.
Review by Olivia S.
August 18, 2010 1I have been going to this school since July of 2007 when this location was first opened. I thought it was a little rocky because they were still figuring things out but it’s only gotten worse since I’ve been there. The only reason I have stayed in this hell hole is because your credits are only transferable to other Art Institutes. Financial aid is TERRIBLE. They are rude and have no idea what they’re doing. They’ll do anything to get more money out of you and to keep you from taking out money that is yours! They will hire any dumb ass off the streets as an instructor because they have such a high staff turn-over. You never see the same instructor two quarters in a row. If you are struggling with the class or the teacher doesn’t know how to explain things, plan on taking the class again. No one will help you to undertsand, they will just fail you and make you take it over again to get more money and to make you stay longer. I should have graduated in June and it is now going to be next March because they have done this to me several times. The whole place is disgusting, there is never soap in the bathroom and the stalls are gross. There is never an empty computer lab for those who don’t have access to a computer or for those who need to do class work. The “library” is pathetic. The woman that works there is a bitch and the shelves are completly bare. I could go on for days…. PLEASE DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE.