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Northwest College of Art & Design
Most applicants get into Northwest College of Art & Design — 66% were admitted — so the real questions are cost, fit and outcomes, covered below.
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Northwest College of Art & Design sits in Tacoma proper — a for-profit campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it.
50.7% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. Most of its 139 undergraduates commute — campus empties by evening — yet 76.8% of first-years return, which says something about what daytime here is worth.
Northwest College of Art & Design won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
Northwest College of Art & Design does not use test scores in admissions at all: the 66% who got into Northwest College of Art & Design did it on GPA, coursework and application alone. No score range exists to publish.
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Northwest College of Art & Design received 153 applications and admitted 117 (76.5%), with 55 enrolling.
How Northwest College of Art & Design compares
| Northwest College of Art & Design | Washington median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 66% | 83.2% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $18,100 | $19,614 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $31,167 | $62,092 | $53,781 |
Ten years out, Northwest College of Art & Design's median earnings are $31,167 — below the Washington benchmark of $62,092. Weigh that against the $18,100 price above; the by-major table shows majors drive much of this gap.
Cost, size & completion
Northwest College of Art & Design lists tuition at $18,100 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Northwest College of Art & Design's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $18,100 as the ceiling, not the bill.
With 139 undergraduates, Northwest College of Art & Design is small enough that class size and faculty access are structural, not marketing claims.
57.7% graduate within six years. Roughly 42% don't — ask a Northwest College of Art & Design tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Northwest College of Art & Design?
Northwest College of Art & Design doesn't look at test scores; its 66% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is Northwest College of Art & Design's acceptance rate?
76.5% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 117 admitted from 153 applicants.
How much does Northwest College of Art & Design cost?
At Northwest College of Art & Design, published tuition is $18,100 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Northwest College of Art & Design's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Northwest College of Art & Design graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $31,167 ten years after enrolling.
Similar colleges in Washington
- University of Washington-Tacoma Campus — 82.5% admitted
- DigiPen Institute of Technology — 64.4% admitted
- Seattle University — 76.9% admitted
- Seattle Pacific University — 83.4% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.