Is the art institute of Pittsburgh a good school?

Answer 1

No its not. It's run by a bunch of washed up, artsy teachers who grade you according to how THEY would do something. For instance, Portfolio defense (which follows Portfolio, the final class)...if you use the color red - and use it effectively, might I add - a particular teacher who doesn't like the color red may say something ridiculous like "That red bothers me, blue would look so much better!" Then they will give you this long spill about the "real world," deadlines, and how you can't afford to make any mistakes. Some people were even forced to repeat Portfolio class over knit-picks like this.

AIA's curriculum is quite essentric, with hardly nothing substantive or concrete. But what else would you expect from an art school? The best and most respectable classes were Entrepreneurship and Art Business Practice, which had hardly anything to do with art itself. I think if the school had more classes like this, then there would be a higher percentage rate for post-graduation employment (more on this later).

The cost of the education is expensive too. Try anywhere from 55K - 65k. It was actually 55K when I was there. I've heard that these days, its somewhere around 75K and (wait for it.........wait for it........) 100K. But of course, that's just heresay. No one I went to school with had a 100K school bill. But I can confirm this...on the day of the Portfolio show (the final class meeting where graduates showcase their work), the career services lady tried to get me to sign a waiver stating that I agreed to accept a job that paid 20K annually, as long as it was in my field. I declined, of course. You might as well flip burgers if you're going to go out like that.

Now, the most important part...post graduation employment. I'll just cut to the chase and say that it's very VERY hard to land a job in your field (which adds insult to the injury of having to accept a 20K annual salary). For awhile, I wondered if listing "The Art Institute of Atlanta" on your resume was a sure way NOT to get a job. I really did...because my class was full of talented, forward-thinking, and hardworking individuals, but none of them could find work! I wonder if this is the reason they have a BBB score of C-.

I'll end this commentary by revealing that I received an email from the Art Institutes a few weeks ago, about Washington's new gainful employment law. To make a long story short, federal student aid may stop being granted for schools like AIA, because the odds of finding a job are slim to none. In the email, they were asking the Alumni to stand with them because "at one time, we were young, aspiring artists passionate about learning our crafts." Unfortunately though, its all about securing a job...and AIA doesn't seem to be the institute for that. So I will not be standing with them.

I hope this serves as an honest review of the AIA school. I harbor no ill-feelings toward them, but desire to share "my truth" with those who are considering the school.

Answer 2

Yes, it is a good school by many metrics. Among these are:

1) Employability of its graduates: The college maintains a career placement office that closely tracks starting jobs and salaries. An average of approximately 90% of graduates are employed in their chosen field within a short time after graduation.

2) Accreditation: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh is accredited by Middle States, which is the highest level of accreditation for a U.S. college. Among the other colleges accredited by Middle States are Princeton University and University of Pennsylvania.

3) Facilities: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh has among the most extensive facilities of any arts college in the world, including many specialized studios and laboratories, and over 1000 art-dedicated computer workstations.

Answer 3

The art institute of Atlanta has an excellent reputation. In particular the animation department is one of the best in the country. Studio representatives from Pixar and DreamWorks are often on campus looking to recruit the most talented individuals.