The School's long excellence in arts production has propelled it from its Chicago origins to world-class status. Founded as the Chicago Academy of Design in 1866 by a collective of studio artists, the institution went through many changes before the turn of the century, some necessitated by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The collecting arm of the School was founded in 1872, and The Art Institute of Chicago was born in 1882 to accommodate a distinct museum and school. The Art Institute moved to its current iconic location on Michigan Avenue after the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, and it remains the largest museum-school partnership in the country.
The School taught primarily classical fine art and architecture design in the first half of the last century. After WWII, its enrollment increased significantly to make it one of the largest art academies in the country. The post-war years saw an explosion in experimental techniques and new artistic tools for individual expression. During this period, the trans-disciplinary focus was solidified, and liberal arts and design classes expanded to complement the fine arts focus.
Mission:
To provide excellence in the delivery of a global education in visual, design, media, and related arts, with attendant studies in the history and theory of those disciplines set within a broad-based humanistic curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences. To provide instruction for this education in a range of formats: written, spoken, media, and exhibition-based.
Excerpted from The Art Institute of Chicago's Corporate Charter, originally obtained from the State of Illinois in 1879, and revised in 2004.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's premiere fine arts colleges, located in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, The Art Institute of Chicago, but is not related to, nor should be confused with, the chain of schools known as The Art Institutes. SAIC is a professional college for the visual and related arts, accredited since 1936 by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and since 1944 (charter member) by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. It is currently seeking accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board as well.
Its downtown Chicago campus consists of five buildings located in the immediate vicinity of the Art Institute of Chicago's building. SAIC is in an equal partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago and share many administrative resources such as design, construction, and human resources. The president of the school is Tony Jones.
In 1866, a group of 35 artists founded the Chicago Academy of Design in a studio on Dearborn Street, with the intent to run a free school with its own art gallery. The organization was modeled after European art academies, such as the Royal Academy, with Academians and Associate Academians. The Academy's charter was granted in March 1867.
Classes started in 1868, meeting every day at a cost of $10 per month. The Academy's success enabled it to build a new home for the school, a five story stone building on 66 West Adams Street, which opened on November 22, 1870.
When the Great Chicago Fire destroyed the building in 1871 the Academy was thrown into debt. Attempts to continue despite of the loss, using rented facilities, failed. By 1878, the Academy was $10,000 in debt. Members tried to rescue the ailing institution by making deals with local businessmen, before some finally abandoned it in 1879 to found a new organization, named the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. When the Chicago Academy of Design went bankrupt the same year, the new Chicago Academy of Fine Arts bought its assets at auction.
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| Percent of Students International: | 15% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 28% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 27,150 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 3,859 | 22% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 3,639 | 11% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 9,048 | 67% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 7,453 | 54% | |
Any Aid: |
75% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 84% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 48% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 520, Math: 500 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 630, Math: 590 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 38% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 20, Verbal: 21, Math: 18 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 25, Verbal: 26, Math: 24 |
| Application Fee: | $ 65.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Not Required |
| High School GPA: | Not Required |
| High School Rank: | Not Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
College Advice
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How are the classes? How is the faculty? How are the facilities? Technology available?
23 months ago
Best Answer
The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the best art schools in the world. Their architecture program has a good reputation, but I'm not intimately familiar with it. I hope someone else can answer those specific questions.
It's in an urban area of Chicago, and its facilities are good. Most are in high-rise buildings, which is kind of cool. The faculty is excellent, as you'd expect of a school of this calibre.
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Question:
What can you tell me about the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (both positive and negative)?
I am a prospective art student.
23 months ago
Best Answer
Positive: It's in a great city and you will fall in love with it if New York is not your thing. Many resources and things to do. School owns the Art Institute of Chicago that you can get into free all the time. This helps to motivate you if you're stuck. Many critiques that help you speak about your work and others (If you can't handle constructive critcism, you won't improve). It's a small school (3,000 students and 3 buildings) so you really get to know people without forgetting their faces. The lectures at the School are wonderful..many well known artists have came to speak like the recent..Elizabeth Peyton. You will eventually learn to think conceptually..which is the big thing at the School. There's no such thing as majors therefore you can take WHATEVER class you want. For ex. Fashion, Architecture, Painting..etc but don't get to crazy away with it. The fashion program is fantastic..esp when you see the end of the year Fashion show visited by guests like Donna Karan and Nicole Miller. Other dept like painting, sculpture, photography are number 1 in the country. Co-op is very very good. Students are very diverse so you will find tons of different styles of art. Winter/Summer study trips they have here are tons of fun (about 3 weeks). You see great work at the end of the year BFA show. Many graduates have gone off to Yale for their MFA.
Negative: Really expensive; without aid you are expecting to pay 30,000-35,000. Weather is terribly cold in the winter and is always windy. You have to be highly motivated or the students will eat you up and make you lazy. They don't really teach you tradional art if that is what you're pursuing. The School is really conceptual and contemporary-based. School can be unorganized that's why you have to really take care of yourself and not follow the lazy-dazy road. There is no meal plans, you cook for yourself. There is this laptop program that you have to participate in where you have to spend over 2,000 on this apple laptop. The School gives you tons of expensive computer art programs but they take it off your laptop after you graduate. Not much of clubs or sports here. But it's a city..you'll find lots to do.
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I want to get into "The School Of Art Institute Of Chicago" but im only begining highschool so how do i get ready?
24 months ago
Best Answer
I would suggest you do more than request paperwork from the Institute. Contact them personally and speak to an admissions representative and ask them this question. They will be impressed with your foresight and you will get on their mailing list early. Materials will be valuable, but personal advice will be even more so from those who know exactly what you need in order to be admitted to their school and do well.
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Question:
Which graduate film school is better?
City College of New York in CUNY or School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
29 months ago
Best Answer
Between those two, no doubt: The Art Institute of Chicago.
CUNY and the Art Institute aren't even in the same league. Chicago is better. WAY BETTER. Better reputation as an art school, better rep in film, everything. And in your master's, the reputation of the school is unbelievably important. It will help you get your first job out of school. So, Chicago!
Are you still looking at schools? If so, then please consider UCLA, University of Southern California, New York University and, if you're willing to go to Canada, the Vancouver Film School. Those are truly the top film programs in N. America.
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