After Cornish College of the Arts: graduation, pay and debt
Seattle, Washington · Private · 502 undergrads
52% of Cornish College of the Arts students finish within six years, the typical student earns $33,696 ten years after starting and graduates leave with $27,000 in federal loans at the median.
The short answers
$33.7k
median pay 10 years after starting college.
52%
finish within six years.
51%
finish in four years.
69%
of first-years come back for year two.
$27k
median federal debt at graduation.
67%
of borrowers were paying down their loans three years after leaving.
All the federal numbers
Finishing
Finished in four yearsIPEDS, fall 2023
51%
Finished within six yearsIPEDS, fall 2023
52%
First-years who came back for year twoCollege Scorecard
69%
Men who finished within six yearsIPEDS, students who started in 2017
43%
Women who finished within six yearsIPEDS, students who started in 2017
55%
Students in that six-year groupIPEDS, students who started in 2017
177
Earned a degree or certificate here within eight yearsIPEDS, full-time students who started in 2015
53%
Still enrolled here after eight yearsIPEDS, full-time students who started in 2015
29%
Students in that eight-year groupIPEDS, full-time students who started in 2015
180
Transferred to another collegeCollege Scorecard
25%
Pay after college
Median pay 6 years after starting collegeCollege Scorecard
$27,580
Median pay 8 years after starting collegeCollege Scorecard
$31,152
Median pay 10 years after starting collegeCollege Scorecard
$33,696
Earning more than $25,000 six years after startingCollege Scorecard
45%
Debt and paying it back
Median federal debt, students who graduatedCollege Scorecard
$27,000
Median federal debt, everyone who borrowed (finished or not)College Scorecard
$20,610
Median federal debt, students with a Pell GrantCollege Scorecard
$24,000
Median federal debt, students without a Pell GrantCollege Scorecard
$17,617
Paying down their loans 3 years after leavingCollege Scorecard
67%
Paying down their loans 5 years after leavingCollege Scorecard
68%
Paying down their loans 7 years after leavingCollege Scorecard
70%
Where these numbers come from
- Admit rate and applicants: IPEDS, fall 2023 (checked May 7, 2026)
- Cost, pay and debt: College Scorecard (checked May 7, 2026)
Updated May 8, 2026Spot a mistake?How we get our numbers