The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Maryland Institute College of Art stand as two of the oldest and highly selective visual arts and design schools in the United States. MICA, in Baltimore, is the oldest art school in the U.S., launched in 1826. Founded in 1866, SAIC, with its adjoining museum, has the largest art school campus in the nation.
Student Statistics
In 2010, MICA has approximately 1,714 undergraduate and graduate 218 students--63 percent female--with an international student rate of 6 percent. SAIC's student population consists of 2,379 undergraduates and 719 graduate students, breaking down to 67 percent female and 33 percent male, with 17 percent of them international students.
Programs
SAIC and MICA both feature a broad selection of fine arts and commercial arts undergraduate and graduate programs typically found at most art institutes. In addition, SAIC has fashion design, sound, art therapy, emerging technologies, architecture and interior design, arts administration, historic preservation and writing programs. MICA students can also pursue summer low-residency or online master's degrees, and both schools offer a one-year, post-baccalaureate certificate.
Tuition
For the 2010-11 school year, SAIC has set its tuition at $35,550, while MICA charges $34,550, with competitive scholarships and financial aid offered at both schools. Students at MICA vie for full scholarships as well.
Top Rated Institutions
"U.S. News & World Report," in ranking the top art schools, listed SAIC as No. 3 and put MICA at No. 4, while "The Chronicle of Higher Education" named the MICA No. 1 among specialty schools in 2008 in producing Fulbright Scholars.
Notable Alumni
Well-known alumni from MICA include artists Jeff Koons, Donald Baechlor and Nancy Rubins, while famous SAIC graduates include painter Georgia O' Keeffe, fashion designer Cynthia Rowley and writer David Sedaris.
Apply
Both schools give tours and participate in National Portfolio Days, which allow prospective students to meet with school admissions officers and review their artwork. Students can find application information, including deadlines, required submission materials and fees, on each school's website.
Tags: both schools, undergraduate graduate