SAIC Tuition, Fees, & Cost of Attendance
How Much Is the School of the Art Institute of Chicago?
The cost of an education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago includes more than just tuition. Whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student, learn more about SAIC's tuition, cost of attendance, housing costs, additional fees, and more. See SAIC's policy on financial responsibility here.
Cost of Attendance
Explore the resources below to get a clear breakdown of tuition, supply costs, and living expenses so you can plan your budget with confidence.
Undergraduate Cost & Fees
See the full cost of attendance for undergraduate students, including tuition, housing costs, additional fees, and more.
Graduate Cost & Fees
See the full cost of attendance for graduate students, including tuition, housing costs, additional fees, and more.
Undergraduate & Graduate Tuition
Academic Year 2026–27
Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027, Summer 2027
| Student Type | Academic year tuition | Cost Per Credit Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | $59,460 per year (30 credit hours) | $1982 |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | $59,460 per year (30 credit hours) | $1982 |
| Graduate | $61,980 per year (30 credit hours) | $2066 |
| Students at Large* | $59,460 per year (30 credit hours) | $1982 |
* Applicable to exchange students, students-at-large, and other students enrolled in degree program courses through Continuing Studies. Degree program courses are not available on a noncredit or audit basis.
SAIC Housing Costs
Residence Life offers housing contracts for the academic year, spring semester, and/or summer term. Learn more about undergraduate and graduate housing costs below. For more information about living on- and off-campus at SAIC, including how to apply for housing, visit our Housing & Residence Life page.
Undergraduate Housing
Many of our students spend their first year thriving in one of our three residence halls—Jones Hall, the 162 North State Street Residences, or The Buckingham. Learn more about housing costs for undergraduate students.
Graduate Housing
Graduate students may choose to live on-campus in any of our residence halls located in the heart of the Loop, or may opt to live off-campus in one of Chicago's many vibrant neighborhoods. Learn more about housing costs for graduate students.
Health Insurance
For the 2026–27 academic year, the cost of health insurance for full-time domestic and all international students is $1,970 per semester ($3,940 annual) for each of the fall and spring semesters. The spring semester health insurance plan includes coverage through the end of the following summer.
For information about SAIC's health insurance requirements and eligibility to submit a waiver, please refer to the student health insurance web page. All students who are required to have health insurance at SAIC are charged automatically each fall and spring semester they are enrolled.
Direct Costs & Additional Fees
Beyond tuition and housing, there are other costs to keep in mind as you plan your budget. Click each link below to review the full breakdown of additional expenses for undergraduate and graduate students, from meal plans to technology and facility fees.
Additional Fees for Undergraduate Students
Additional Fees for Graduate Students
Figure Your Costs
How much will a degree at SAIC cost? Use the the Figure Your Costs Student Budget Worksheets to calculate your direct and indirect costs.
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2026–27
- Undergraduate Student Budget Worksheet
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Student Budget Worksheet
- Graduate Student Budget Worksheet
- Graduate Student Budget Worksheet - MFA Low Res - Summer
* Must open with Acrobat Reader (or Acrobat) to activate the calculation function.
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Use these electronic Figure Your Costs budgeting worksheets to calculate your direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are costs for which you will be billed by SAIC directly on the student's tuition and fees account. Indirect costs are costs for which you will need to budget, but will not be charged by SAIC.
You will need to choose from four possible living expense budgets to calculate your indirect costs. You may need to customize these indirect costs to meet your specific expected costs which may differ from the provided averages.- On-Campus (New Student)
- On-Campus (Continuing Student)
- Off-Campus
- At Home (with parents, family, etc)
You should use the worksheet to determine your remaining costs after all available resources (scholarships, grants, loans, work-study and student, parent and/or other contributions) have been included. Use Adobe Acrobat to open PDF files and activate the calculation function.
Upon completing the budgeting worksheet, you should be able to determine if your current resources will:
- Provide enough funding to cover both your direct and indirect costs for the academic year. For financial aid students, this would include getting a refund after all direct costs on the student account are paid so that you may use the additional funds to cover your indirect costs.
- Not provide enough funding to cover your direct, or indirect expenses or both. If your current resources are not enough to cover your cost of attendance, you should seek additional funding resources.
For financial aid students, additional funding resources are most likely Federal Direct PLUS or private education loans if you have no other funding resources. These loans are available to financially credit-worthy borrowers. The amount for which you may be eligible is listed on your financial aid award letter and is based on the number of credit hours and an average off-campus student budget. Please note if the student is living on campus, your eligibility could vary based on your residence hall charges. If you need assistance determining your eligibility for additional loans, please contact an SFS advisor.
Payment in full or payment arrangements are due the 15th before each semester. Students may opt to pay their remaining balance after any financial aid resources, by enrolling in SAIC's deferred tuition payment plan for that term. More information on payment plans can be found here. -
Please note that the indirect costs provided on the budgeting worksheets are estimated for an average 15 credit hour semester. You should use the worksheets in coordination with the student budget figures provided on the SAIC website. These budgets will provide average estimates for indirect costs that you may wish to use for calculations other than 15 credit hours.
SAIC Net Price Calculator
Use the SAIC Net Price Calculator to estimate your financial aid and net costs.
Need Assistance? We're Here to Help
For any questions, please contact Student Financial Services.
- Phone: 312.629.6600
- Email: saic.sfs@saic.edu
- Make a Virtual or Phone Appointment: Prospective students, parents, and alumni can schedule via Acuity and current students can schedule via Navigate.