<p>Academy of Art University in S.f is accredited by WASC, their tuition is around 670$/unit. It is the cheapest art school in the area and the only that's regionally accredited.</p>
<p>San Francisco Art Institute is not accredited (it is but not by WASC, only nationally i think) and their tuition is almost double that.</p>
<p>Doesn't a school that is accredited by WASC mean it is guaranteed a good school? How come that doesn't raise the prices?</p>
<p>SFAI is considered a better school too, AAU is considered descent (by students anyways). What is an accurate way to figure out a school's reputation and quality of education, WASC doesn't seem to mean anything...Is there a government website that i can get a clear idea?</p>
<p>Offtopic question: Should someone choose a "so-so" college that's accredited, or go for the more reputable and non accredited?
Also what exactly means regional accreditation? I know it is one of the highest accreditation and could transfer to a State University (right?) but what other benefits does it have in the long run? Does it make it any easier to get a job in let's say the government/public sector?</p>
<p>You may be able to get more information under the “major” section on this web site. It’s towards the bottom of the main discussion page. There are other (better) web sites if you’re looking for art school info.</p>
<p>I think it depends on what program you’re specifically interested in. Obviously accreditation would matter for an Architecture major, but for something like graphic design(which is a skill that can be learned basically anywhere and everywhere) it doesn’t really matter.
With art schools what matters the most is the reputation. Rarely are employers checking up on the latest accreditation. If art center lost there’s, it would still be known as art center, one of the best designs schools in America. Thats why SFAI is considered a better school.</p>
<p>In regards to cost, I think cheaper schools don’t need to have higher tuitions mainly because they probably don’t need to pay as many employees or pay as many bills as other private schools that are larger might? That’s what I’m guessing. That or the cheaper school has a lot of students attending which helps bring lower down the cost?</p>
<p>liek0805, i agree that for graphic design or advertising (my major is advertising) skills and experience mean more than a degree. But, if you search for a job in the field (especially for art directors) most companies require a bachelors degree. Plus, having a bachelors is a good idea for other related fields that do require a degree. By having a degree you seem more well-rounded educationally and have a better chance to get hired (compared to someone who has a portfolio as good as yours but no degree).</p>
<p>You are right, AAU has way more students than any other private art school, my guess is also that’s what bring the prices down.</p>
<p>Accreditation means that a schools’ students may use federal student aid. As long as the accrediting agency is approved by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), then you can use federal loans, pell grants, etc. there. </p>
<p>Accreditation does not really mean that the school is guaranteed to be good. Many schools have policies that require any transfer credit to come from a regionally accredited college or university (which is why people think of regional accreditation as the “best”). More than anything, accreditation probably means that the school is not in financial ruins. After that, it’s a certification that the school operates according to some generally agreed upon standards, like it teaches most of its own classes and has adequate faculty and space and library and computers. </p>
<p>In specialty fields like Art, it’s not uncommon for schools to have national accreditation rather than regional accreditation. If you <em>know</em> that you’re going to stay in the art field all the way through your undergraduate and graduate education, don’t worry about it. </p>
<p>One thing you might do is call the registrar’s office at your local state university and ask them if they would accept transfer credits from whatever school you’re interested in that isn’t regionally accredited. That might tell you more than anything.</p>