Placement Metric
Highest Package
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Represents the top salary package reported in the available placement information.
University Guide
About School of Visual Arts
Explore overview, courses, fees, admissions, campus life, scholarships and student accommodation guidance in one premium Admistay guide.
School of Visual Arts, a multidisciplinary college of creative arts and design located in the bustling city of New York is home to over 7000 students representing more than 57 countries. The school is known for providing excellent resources and freedom of expression to its artists and is ranked #23 for its Fine Arts program amongst top universities in USA. SVA offers exceptional training in the field of visual arts, animations, film making, and designing through its 30 programs under 11 departments.
Check: School of Visual Arts Courses
Admissions to School of Visual Arts opens twice a year for the spring and fall intake semesters. Recognised among top institutions to study Fine Arts in USA, the school undertakes a moderately selective admissions policy with an acceptance rate of 70%. While assessing the applications, the admissions committee considers flair for art, creativity and potential as pivotal factors to get accepted in SVA.
A recent placement report suggests that 73% of SVA alumni are satisfied with their current jobs. The esteemed institution boasts of being one of the largest communities of creative professionals in the world with 38,000 talented alumni.
School of Visual Arts Rankings
- #32 QS WUR Rankings by subject in Arts and Design.
- #23 in Best Fine arts programs by US News Rankings in the US.
- #3 in Best 3D Animation schools in the world by Rookie Awards
- #4 in top Illustration Schools in US by Animation Review.
Highlights
| College Type | Private |
| Campus Setting | Sub Urban |
| Endowment | 16.1 million USD |
| Session Type | Semester Based |
| Intake Sessions | Spring/ Fall |
| Total Students | 7,000 |
| Faculty members | 1,100 |
| UG Acceptance Rate | 71.1 % |
| Tests Required | SAT/ACT/TOEFL/IELTS |
| Graduation Rate | 93.8% |
| Retention Rate | 85.8% |
| Official Website | https://sva.edu/ |
| Admission Helpline | [email protected] Tel: 212.592.2100 |
School of Visual Arts Campus & Accommodation
School of Visual Arts is located at the Prime location of New York City that is close to many monumental places providing abundance of exceptional career opportunities for creative individuals. With its safe and supportive environment and residence halls, SVA gives opportunities to its students to stay in the world's best city, New York. Education at SVA comes with full fetched resources for personal development and great campus experience. Following are the amenities and recreational places available at the College.
- School of Visual Arts is operated in a single campus divided into various buildings and floors in and around 23rd Street.
- A welcome center is available for students to deal with all Admissions related queries. SVA, for the ease of transportation, has a shuttle bus service, which stops at four places around the campus.
- College campus consists of two libraries and an archive centre. The SVA library and SVA library west has all the art, media resources and featured books, DVDs, magazine and video games respectively.
- For exhibition of the art works of students, the college has three Galleries. SVA Chelsea Library, SVA Flatiron Library and SVA Gramercy Library.
- SVA Campus Store provides the solution to all technological issues and is the one stop shop for all SVA branded merchandise.
- In the Chelsea neighborhood, SVA has its own Theatre, where presentations of all the visual artworks and entertainment industry are being done.
School of Visual Arts Accommodation
SVA has the fine and quality-wise exceptional residential halls at reasonable costs around the campus. College does not have hostels but it provides Residential Halls as accommodations that provide single and shared rooms, bathroom and common kitchen along with some basic amenities like wifi, cupboards, study tables etc. Costs for the rooms are tabulated below :
| Residential Place | Type of Room | Costs |
|---|---|---|
| 24th Street Residence | Small room, double | $18,200 |
| Double | $19,950 | |
| Single | $16,550 | |
| Gramercy Women’s Residence | Double | $18,050 |
| Shared Studio | $19,800 | |
| 23rd Street Residence | Double | $18,600 |
| Small room, Double | $16,000 | |
| Ludlow Residency | Double | $18,000 |
| Single | $19,600 |
School of Visual Arts Programs
School of Visual arts is famous for its well qualified and creative faculties of all the departments. The school has a total of 11 Departments-Advertising, Animation, Cartooning, Computer Arts, Computer Animation and Visual Effects, Design, Film, Fine Arts, Illustration, Interior Design , Photography and Video, Visual and Critical Arts.
- SVA, like all universities in the USA, provides a 4-year long undergraduate program with a wide range of opportunities and workshops in the field of art and designing. 18+ UG are offered in SVA across 11 departments.
- Graduate programs at this college provide in-depth research and understanding of art with a lot of practical work. SVA offers 20+ PG courses in different academic fields.
- The school offers several MFA, MA degrees in over 31 majors including animation, film, advertising and designing, computer arts, etc/
School of Visual Arts Application Process
Students can apply to SVA through a simple and uncomplicated procedure. After filling out the application form, University usually takes two-three weeks to respond back to the selected candidates. Following are the admission requirements, eligibility, and application details for admission at School of Visual Arts, NYC:
- Application Portal: SVA Online Portal
- Application Fee - $50 for UG, $80 for PG programs
- Application Deadline - 1 July
Application Requirements -
- Official AcademicTranscripts
- Statement of Purpose
- Copy of passport
- English Language Proficiency
- SAT/ACT scores
- Letters of Recommendation
English Language Proficiency Test
| Test Name | Minimum Score Required |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5 |
| TOEFL | 80 |
| PTE Academic | 53 |
| Duolingo English Test | 115 |
Cost of Attendance
School of Visual Arts, NYC consumes a fair amount of cost of attendance. Along with Tuition fees, students are needed to take care of sufficient funds to cover study materials and living costs required to study in USA. The following figures provide an estimated amount to study at SVA:
Tuition Fees
| Degree | Top Programs | Estimate Costs per year |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Animation | $1200 |
| Cartooning | $800 | |
| Computer Arts | $1340 | |
| Illustration | $800 | |
| Photography and Video | $1465 | |
| Postgraduate | Art Education | $35,000 - $40,000 per semester |
| Art Therapy | $25,200- $26,000 per semester | |
| Design | $26,890 - $30,000 per semester | |
| Fine Arts | $25,200 - $26,000 per semester |
Cost of Living
New York City is famous for its lavish yet cultural lifestyle and great opportunities. Cost of living in New York along with studying at SVA may take a good amount of funds. Basic expenditure that students should look after before enrolling in SVA is :
| Type of Expenses | Estimated Costs |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Fees | $500 |
| Health Insurance Fees | $1,290 - $1,380 |
| Housing Placement Fees | $400 |
| Housing Costs | $16,000 - $19,950 |
| Supplies | $1,050 - $3,150 |
Scholarships and Financial Aids
There are some scholarships and financial aid that helps students to take admission in SVA. Apart from these tabulated scholarships and Aids, students can search for private student loans and external scholarships in USA to cover their tuition fees.
| Type Of Aid/Scholarship | Eligibility | Award Value |
|---|---|---|
| Silas H. Rhodes Merit Scholarships | UG students with minimum 3.0 GPA | All costs |
| National Scholastic Art Award Scholarships | Winners of scholastic art awards national competition | Varies |
| SVA Grant | Need-based | Decided by Authority |
| SVA Matching Outside Scholarships | Merit based scholarships | $2,500 Max. |
Working while study
International students are allowed to work in the USA while studying. But there are certain rules and regulations with it.
- Students who mostly hold F1 and M1 US Visas are only allowed to take on campus work. On campus work includes work performed on the college's premises and for college. Students are allowed to take optional or curriculum practical training if needed in their courses.
- Only under extreme financial crunch, F1 holders will be allowed to work along with studies but with 20 hours per week.
Alumni
According to data,73% of SVA Alumni report overall satisfaction with their current jobs. They recommend SVA to budding artists all around the world. Many famous painters, artists, directors, musicians have been part of SVA such as :
- Renee Cox, Jamaican-American artist
- John Dilworth, American Animator
- Michael Cuesta, American Director
- Keith Haring, Artist
- Nate Powell, Novelist
- John Paul Leon, American Comic book artist
Placements
Average salary of a School of Visual arts graduate is sustainable enough. Alumni and graduates of SVA highly recommend it to art students. New York City in itself is a great market hub and full of job opportunities which makes it easier for students to find work.
| Activity | Average Pay |
|---|---|
| Marketing, Product and communications | $83,000 |
| Media, communications and advertising | $68,000 |
| MA degree graduates | $60,000 |
Over the years, SVA has earned a great reputation in the institutions dedicated to Arts by standing out as a unique institute as it should be. For over 70 years, budding Artists from international communities have joined this college to boost their creativity by working around like-minded people and to accelerate their artistic career. The Institute and the city adds more than just an art degree to the experiences of its students. The exposure and opportunities at SVA are worth experiencing for every student.
FAQs
Ques. What is the application deadline for UG courses for fall session?
Ans. 1st July is the last date to apply for UG courses at SVA.
Ques. Is Portfolio Mandatory for admission in SVA?
Ans. Yes, Portfolios are an important part of the admission process. On the basis of Portfolio, College proceeds with accepting or rejecting the applications.
Ques. Is it tough to get into the School of Visual Arts, NYC?
Ans. SVA's undergraduate acceptance rate is around 70%, that indicates that it is not really tough to get into the college but more than academic scores, SVA focuses on Portfolio and creative aspects of a student. That makes it a competitive place.
Ques. How long does it take my Admission to process at SVA?
Ans. Usually, it takes 3 or more weeks to process; portfolios, LORs, application takes significant amount of time to get processed.
Ques. Has admission in PG programs tough selection?
Ans. SVA demands its students to be more responsible and has tough selection procedures. They have less acceptance rate in PG Admissions than that of UG.
Ques. What does the School of visual arts specialize in?
Ans. SVA, as it is evident from its name, specializes in Fine Arts, Technical Arts, Visual Arts, Filmmaking and art research based programmes. Many graduates of SVA are working in art and entertainment industry.
Ques. Is accommodation available off-campus at SVA?
Ans. No, SVA students are supposed to stay around the campus only. Students may request to not stay at Residential Halls.
Courses & Fees
Compare courses in a cleaner, easier way
Explore tuition, duration, language, eligibility, and exam requirements without the clutter.
Courses
11
Fee from
₹18,25,785
Exams
IELTS · TOEFL
Showing 5 of 10 bachelors
Overview
Degree TypeBachelor
Duration4 years
Study ModeFull Time
LanguageEnglish
Fees
Tuition FeeINR 32.3 L/Yr
Native FeeUSD 34,500 /Yr
Admission Guide
Admission Process
School of Visual Arts is located in New York, USA. It was established back in the year 1947. In the fall of 2018, 4,364 students applied for the School of Visual Arts admissions. Notably, 70% of the total applicants were offered a place. Thus, seeking admission here can be a tough job for the prospective students and thus they need to be extra attentive while meeting the eligibility criteria for respective courses.
School of Visual Arts offers undergraduate and graduate programs in around 31 disciplines, with Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design, Photography, Computer Graphics, Illustration, etc being some of the most popular courses.
- School of Visual Arts opens application for fall, spring, and summer sessions. But for graduate programs only fall applications are invited.
- SVA accepts applications on a rolling basis for the fall semester.
- Applicants may upload the supporting documents while making the online application or send them to the Admission Office post the application process.
- However, students applying for UG courses are recommended to complete the application by May 1
- Application for scholarships should be submitted by June 1.
- Transcripts must be sealed and mailed from the issuing authority itself.
Highlights
| Application Portal | Online application |
| Application Fee | 50 USD |
| Acceptance Rate | 70 % |
| The student to faculty ratio | 8:1 |
| Academic Calendar | Semester wise |
| Intake Seasons | Fall/spring/summer |
| Work Experience | Optional |
| Financial Aid | Yes |
School of Visual Arts Admission Deadlines
Students are requested to submit their application prior to the deadlines for them to be considered for admission. Applications deadlines are different for international students in relation to domestic students. SVA does not entertain late applications. Here are the deadlines for the enrolment seasons:
| Term/ Semester | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Spring | October 1 |
| Summer | April 1 |
| Fall | May 1 |
For graduate courses, students must submit their application along with supporting material by January 15.
School of Visual Arts International Student Admissions
School of Visual Arts accepts international applicants, given that they have completed secondary education with college preparatory curriculum, fulfilled the minimum grade point equivalency, provided required official academic records, met the appropriate deadlines, and verified financial support for one academic year.
The admission process is similar for both international and domestic applicants. However, international applicants need some additional requirements.
Application Portal: Online application
Application Fee: UG: 50 USD
Graduate: 80 USD
Admission Requirements:
- High school and college-level transcripts (translated and evaluated by either ECE or WES)
- Statement of Intent
- Proof of English proficiency
- SAT or ACT scores for students who attended high school in the US (only if the aspirant has earned less than 24 college credits)
- Proof of Financial Support
- Recommendation Letters
- Resume/CV
Supporting Documents:
- Admission interview
- Credit requirements
- Portfolio
- Writing sample
- GRE or GMAT scores
Students must mail the admission materials to:
School of Visual Arts
209 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010 USA
English Proficiency Test Score for International Students
International applicants are required to present TOEFL, ESL, and/or SAT scores to demonstrate English proficiency. The minimum required scores by the School of Visual Arts are:
Visa Process for International Students
International applicants need to apply for an F-1 student visa to be able to study in the USA. Students whose application have been approved and enrolment fee have been received will be issued the I-20 Form and Certificate of Eligibility and based on these international students are required to apply for the student visa in their respective countries through the U.S. embassies located nearby. The I-20 Form is directly mailed to the students once the admission process is completed.
Students may direct their I-20 Form related queries to [email protected]. Students need to pay the visa processing fee of 160 USD and 350 USD SEVIS fee and preserve the receipt of payment in order to be used as evidence during the process.
Applicant will be required to submit the following documents while applying for a visa:
- Valid Passport
- Proof of Health Insurance/ Verification Form
- Declaration and Verification of Finances
- Completed DS-160 Online Application Form
- Certificate of Eligibility
- Original I-20
- Receipt of SEVIS fee payment
For further information regarding the Visa process students can visit the U.S. Department of State website.
Students whose visa has expired during their stay in the US and can’t move to their respective countries due to COVID-19, such students are allowed to stay in the US with the expired visa provided they maintain valid immigration status with a valid I-20.
US embassies and consulates have canceled all the routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa appointments since March 18, due to coronavirus pandemic and would resume services shortly after situations are normal. Students should check the U.S. embassy website for operating status of the embassy in your domestic country.
School of Visual Arts Undergraduate Admissions
School of Visual Arts offers Undergraduate Admissions in Advertising, Animation, Cartooning, Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects, Design, Film, Fine Arts, Illustration, Interior Design, Photography and Video, and Visual and Critical Studies. Aspirants are required to submit transcripts, which should be in an unopened envelope stamped and sealed by the issuing institution directly to be considered official.
Where to Apply: Online Application portal
Application Fee: 50 USD
Admission Requirements: Applicants must submit the following documents at the time of admission:
- High school transcripts (translated and evaluated by either ECE or WES)
- Statement of Intent
- Portfolio (15-20 images or a film reel or two-part film essay)
- Proof of English proficiency
- Declaration and Verification of Finances
- Recommendation Letters (optional)
Students need to mail their application material to the following address:
SVA Undergraduate Admissions
209 East 23rd Street
New York, NY 10010 USA
School of Visual Arts Graduate Admissions
School of Visual Arts offers graduate degrees in Arts Practice, writing, computer arts, design, fine arts, interactive design, photography, video, and related media, social documentary film, curatorial practice, directing, branding, visible futures lab, and many more.
Students must submit their admission application through the online portal of SVA.
Graduate students must send the required applications and supporting material by January 15.
Here are some specific academic requirements for some of the popular graduate programs offered by the School of Visual Arts.:
| Requirements | MFA Fine Arts | MFT Design | MA Design Research, Writing, and Criticism | MA/ MAT Art Education | MPS Directing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Fee (USD) | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Transcripts | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| GMAT/GRE | Not Required | Not Required | Not Required | GRE | Not Required |
| Statement of Purpose | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Professional CV/ Resume | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Letters of Recommendation | Three Required | Three Required | One Required | Three Required | Three Required |
| Admission Interview | Not Required | Not Required | Required | Required | Not Required |
| Portfolio | Required | Required | Required | Required | Not Required |
Graduate applicants are required to send their transcripts to [email protected] (for electronic transcripts)
Or
Graduate Admissions
342 East 24th Street, 1st Floor
New York, NY 10010
Students are notified of the admission decision within approximately two months of the completed application process. All admission decision-related notification is sent directly on the applicant’s mail. Students can post their admission related queries at [email protected]. During the pandemic times, students are required to regularly update themselves regarding the latest rules for the admission process, visa process, immigration rules, etc.
FAQs
Ques. Does SVA accept transcripts through email?
Ans. SVA prefers official transcripts if sent through mail but in unprecedented circumstances of COVID-19 students may submit electronic transcripts directly from the institution’s official email, self-reported transcripts are not acceptable. SVA also accepts electronic transcripts from Parchment Exchange, National Student Clearinghouse, or Scrip-Safe.
Ques. Can my application be accepted without TOEFL/IELTS test scores?
Ans. Students belonging to country where the primary language is not English are required to submit proof of their English Proficiency by either TOEFL or IELTS or Pearson PTE Academic test scores. But in times of COVID-19 SVA is accepting Duolingo scores as well on a case-by-case basis.
Ques. Does SVA offer scholarships?
Ans. Yes. Around 74% of the students receive financial aid and all the first-year full-time students are offered Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship program provided they possess a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Ques. What is the acceptance rate of School of Visual Arts?
Ans. 70%
Ques. Do international students qualify for online classes?
Ans. Yes. Due to these COVID-19 situations, the classes are being conducted online and all students are required to attend the same to maintain their full-time status irrespective of their location.
Ques. What if the student belongs to a country with poor internet connections?
Ans. Students residing in countries with low internet speeds are being provided a VPN network by SVA to attend regular online classes as per schedule.
Placements & Recruiters
School of Visual Arts Placement Details
School of Visual Arts in New York City, New York, United States placement details include salary insights, top recruiters, and hiring trends to help students understand career outcomes and campus opportunities.
Students usually compare highest package, average package, and recruiter profile before applying. This section gives a compact overview of career outcomes and placement visibility in New York City, New York, United States.
Recruiters
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Salary Metrics
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Placement Metric
Average Package
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Shows the typical package range students may expect based on the available average salary data.
Placement information is currently limited.
More salary or recruiter data may be updated later for this college.
Rankings over the years
Year-wise highlights from global and country rankings available for this university.
2018
Highlights
2018
2018
- Design: #10 in country
- Top source: QS
- 1 ranked streams
- Focus areas: Design
- 1 ranking record in 2018
2019
Highlights
2019
2019
- Design: #11 in country
- Top source: QS
- 1 ranked streams
- Focus areas: Design
- 1 ranking record in 2019
2020
Highlights
2020
2020
- Design: #10 in country
- Top source: QS
- 1 ranked streams
- Focus areas: Design
- 1 ranking record in 2020
2024
Highlights
2024
2024
- Design: #9 in country
- Top source: QS
- 2 ranked streams
- Focus areas: Arts, Design
- 1 ranking record in 2024
2025
Highlights
2025
2025
- Fine Arts: #9 in country
- Top source: US News
- 1 ranked streams
- Focus areas: Fine Arts
- 1 ranking record in 2025