Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah, GA
83%
Acceptance Rate
$41,630
Avg Cost (In-State)
$41,630
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
69.9%
Graduation Rate
15,243
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
Rolling admissions
Early Deadline
Early Action available
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
0
Interview
Not required
Essays: Statement of purpose describing why you want to study your chosen major at SCAD
Note: Portfolio optional but recommended for scholarship consideration; artist statement may be required for certain programs
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$34,110
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$45,954
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
70%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts. | $23,400 | $45,923 | 810 |
| Graphic Communications. | $23,451 | $43,058 | 382 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication. | $40,139 | $64,076 | 331 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts. | $23,976 | $41,651 | 244 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. | $20,532 | $35,177 | 136 |
| Fine and Studio Arts. | $20,643 | $41,153 | 134 |
| Apparel and Textiles. | $31,574 | $55,925 | 132 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians. | $20,682 | $26,064 | 46 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Georgia HOPE + Zell Miller Scholarships
~$22k valueGeorgia HOPE covers most tuition at Georgia publics for 3.0+ GPA grads; Zell Miller covers full tuition for 3.7+ GPA with 1200 SAT or 26 ACT.
Who it helps: Georgia residents enrolling at Georgia public 4-year universities or eligible private schools, with strong-enough academics.
How to use: File FAFSA + your school's HOPE application. School calculates HOPE GPA from your core academic courses (slightly different from cumulative GPA). Awards renew with a 3.0 college GPA at 30/60/90 credit-hour checkpoints.
Source ↗Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
GA Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG)
Up to $950/year (privates)
stateGA residents at GA private 4-year colleges; supplements other GA aid.
Deadline: Through institution
Learn more ↗Georgia HOPE Grant (Technical/CC)
Tuition at GA technical/CC colleges
stateGA residents in non-degree certificate programs at GA technical colleges. No GPA threshold to start.
Deadline: Apply via FAFSA + school
Learn more ↗Georgia HOPE Career Grant
Tuition support in high-demand fields
stateStacks with HOPE Grant for GA technical college students in 17 high-demand industry sectors.
Deadline: Apply via FAFSA
Learn more ↗GA Public Safety Memorial Grant
Up to $18,000/year (cost-of-attendance)
stateChildren of GA public safety officers killed/permanently disabled in line of duty.
Deadline: Through GSFC
Learn more ↗Georgia Tech Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Stipends
$500-$3,000/semester for VIP team participation
universityGT students participating in long-term multidisciplinary VIP research teams.
Deadline: Through faculty advisors
Learn more ↗Emory Need-Met Aid (Loan-Free)
100% need met; loans replaced with grants for families under $150k
universityAdmitted Emory students with demonstrated need.
Deadline: CSS Profile + FAFSA
Learn more ↗Spelman Founder's Scholarship
Full tuition + room/board
universityTop Spelman incoming freshmen via competitive process; flagship HBCU women's award.
Deadline: November 15
Learn more ↗Morehouse Founder's Scholarship
Full tuition + room/board
universityTop Morehouse incoming freshmen via competitive process; flagship HBCU men's award.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗GHSA Wendy's Heisman Scholar-Athlete (Georgia)
$1,000-$5,000
stateGA HS senior scholar-athletes via Georgia High School Association.
Deadline: Fall
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 83% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
82.98%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI
83% acceptance
Both admit around 83% of applicants, with 19k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI
83% acceptance
Both admit around 83% of applicants, with 19k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Lowell, MA
83% acceptance
Both admit around 83% of applicants, with 11k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC
81.8% acceptance
Similar selectivity (82% vs 83%) but out-of-state cost runs $9k — meaningfully less than $42k.
Georgia State University-Perimeter College
Atlanta, GA
90.8% acceptance
Similar selectivity (91% vs 83%) but out-of-state cost runs $10k — meaningfully less than $42k.
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN
86.2% acceptance
Similar selectivity (86% vs 83%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $42k.
Reaches above this college
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA
14% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (14% vs 83%) — a stretch target if Savannah College of Art and Design is already on your list.
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
12.9% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (13% vs 83%) — a stretch target if Savannah College of Art and Design is already on your list.
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
11% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but more selective (11% vs 83%) — a stretch target if Savannah College of Art and Design is already on your list.
Safer alternatives
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, FL
97% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (97% vs 83%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX
99.9% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (100% vs 83%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
Austin Community College
Austin, TX
100% acceptance
Same u setting in the South, but higher admit rate (100% vs 83%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
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