The Art Institutes Reviews of Bachelor's in Art & Design

I had spent over a YEAR working at a sewing factory and working in retail to save enough money to move to Nashville, where one of the Art Institutes was (it is now closed). Everything was going so well; I rented a motel room so I could attend the interview, I got accepted, I kept in constant contact with the staff (who was very nice), one of them even helped me find a great place to live, which is the apartments that are literally a stone-throw away from the campus. I had moved all the way from my... Read More home state, where I had lived ALL MY LIFE, to my new apartment about 3 weeks away from the beginning to the semester. The next week, however, I got a freaking TEXT MESSAGE from the school saying they are closing down and my classes are no longer available. That... That was one of the most horrible moments of my life. I was calling the numbers of the staff I stayed in contact with frantically only to get a "this number was not available". I called HQ, told me what was happening, I was in tears, and they told me to apply for the online classes. Okay, I did NOT leave behind all I've ever known and made all those sacrifices so I could go take online courses. What also amazed me is that not even the staff knew it was going to happen. They said it was just announced one day that they were closing and one of the nice people who helped me get there had a meltdown and they had to walk her out. I had a break down and spent the next 2 days shivering and vomiting. My nerves couldn't take it... The next 3 months, I had the awfullest taste in my mouth that wouldn't go away, which apparently has something to do with your nerves. I was a nervous reck. THANKFULLY I found Nossi College of Art, they have been very good to me and are a very professional art college. A lot of ex-students of the Art Institutes had transferred there and they told me that I dodged a bullet. I believe them. This all took place in 2018 and I still have that text message from them to remind me what brought me to Nashville. However, as well as things turned out, I still find the whole experience traumatic.

This school is overly priced; under educated; and ran into the ground by very poor functioning business "professionals." $85,000 for four years is what it costs for a Bachelors degree. This only includes classes, books, and $100 worth of art supplies they charge you $345 for. No meals, no room and board. Then, should you have an issue and not pay your bill because you have an issue. They don't care to kick you to the curb. Then everyone you speak with hears about the situation. I'm pretty sure my... Read More records are supposed to be privileged. They blatantly shared my information with everyone who could hear it previous to my arrival.Lastly they send me on a wild goose chase to find the person who can fix my issue; mind you he only works business hours, and I have a full time job working 8 am to 5:00 pm. There is no way I am ever going to be able to resolve my issue. Please share so that your kids or anyone interested in Fine Arts will know to steer very clear of this college.

The school is more about money than the students. Teacher are hit and miss on actually teaching you and just trying to get you through the class. The schedules are crazy I never get my classes in the right order and the faculty and teachers don't seem to care that we are struggling through each class with no help from any one. Some teacher go way to fast and won't slow down so I can take notes and get mad when you have to ask them to explain something because they didn't cover it clearly. Most teacher... Read More are good at turning in grades so we know if we are passing or not but some teacher don't grade anything until the class is over. The classes always have a problem no place to work or the computers are down. The equipment is almost always braking or non functional. The teacher say to get everything done early so they can give you feed back to make changes. But they never do they wait tell you are in class so they can show every one what you did wrong. Every courter they want more money for supplies or other things for each class. some classes just on the paper and markers can be $200-$300. By the time you are ready for portfolio you won't have anything worth putting in it. Everything I learn I do on my free time with no instructor help. The people who work the hardest get the most crap from the teacher about the work they do. When people who clearly need help they don't even talk to. Every hope and dream I had for this art field is shattered crumbling to pieces in my hands. The job market is extremely hard to get into and is more about who you know then what you do. Witch will not help with the Art institute pined to your degree. The word is that students who come from this school are slow workers who are hard to train to do the job the way the company wants. I don't see a way out of this school so I am stuck teaching myself.

Misleading grad-to-hire statistics. Incompetent instructor who piggyback off his teacher assistant to teach us intro classes instead of doing the teaching himself. He also told us to watch online tutorials on digital tutors or youtube if we ever had any questions. How they hired an inexperienced person who had a degree in English to teach Intro to 3D Modeling or anything art is beyond me. Waste of time and overly expensive. Poor financial aid and financial advisor are clueless. They don't help you... Read More with finance, they recommend all their students to take out private loans and lying that when the students graduates, they will land a high paying job to pay back their loans. They lure in low-income students to get financial aid from the government and then screw over those students for garbage degrees because the instructors don't know theaerials they're supposed to be teaching.

When I started at the Art Institute of Colorado... I was told that the classes got better after a year and you get the general art classes out of the way... Turns out the actual degree classes were not much better. But by the time you realize how terrible this school is you are already in so much debt that you feel like you need to continue. The degree has such a vast scope that in every class many of the students don't have their heart in it. Everybody has passions in different areas of the degree.... Read More And because of this the students that actually want to learn, don't really learn anything because the students that aren't passionate in this class are still trying to get caught up. Some of the teachers were not bad. Some of the teachers were terrible. Often the teachers were not utilized correctly by the school.

Do not go through them! They told me it would be cheaper attending online and quicker and then 4 years later they told me it was more expensive to attend online because they leave the classroom open 24 hours a day. The instructors are very late at responding. They are there to grade and give you a feedback before you redo your assignment by the end of the week. I tried transferring to the art institute of tampa and they would only accept half of my 108 credits because they said different statea have... Read More different requirements. Do not go through this school! I tried contacting a lawyer but i had no written proof from them because they only discuss issues over the phone. I was working two jobs and told them i couldnt call them and be on hold and they refused to email me back when i had issues with financial aid. They have had a lawsuit filed against them from the federal government if that tells you anything. They claim they will send your portfolio out 6 months before you graduate and will help you find a job. They do not! They give you a list of websites you can post your resume and consider working at home depot mixing paint utilizing your art degree. Bad reviews have been posted to google about them and they get deleted. So hopefully my review will help someone before it gets deleted.

All you have to do is take a look at the curriculum, student work, and job success rates of REAL art schools (Ringling, CalARTS, Art Center, etc) to know that AI is a a joke, pathetic in comparison, and ultimately exists only to scam the government out of FAFSA money. The only good instructors here kept their mouths shut, because they knew that criticizing the school's terrible, outdated curriculum would get them fired. The penny-pinching corporate suits run everything here, no one values the (VERY... Read More FEW) good teachers, and no one respects the students. Also, sorry to be blunt, but real art schools REQUIRE A GOOD PORTFOLIO to get in. AI doesn't. Sadly, any kid who doodled in a notebook could get an acceptance letter here, and the school gives these poor saps false hope of getting work that they are woefully under-prepared for. Most entry level AI students are lightyears behind their peers at SCAD, RSID, etc. The only reason I attended was because I got a scholarship...even then, I regret wasting my college years on a worthless. half-assed attempt at education. It took nearly 10 years of HARD, NON-STOP SELF EDUCATION to repair the damage AI did to my career.

Was told to take classes that (A)where not even part of my degree, or (B)classes that later be came not part of my degree. Still had to pay for them all, some multiple times with no reimbursement. School also tried to get me (a petite woman) to take an internship with a 'company' that was one guy working out of his basement. Constantly gave me the run around when i would try to ask for help. Tried to use me as a success story for their job placement stats when i later started working at an arts and... Read More crafts store. Got some interest inmy portfolio, but was ultimately told by potential bosses they don't hire from the Ai schools because the students are typically too unprepared/unqualified, and not worth investing time into training.

Probably the biggest mistake of my life was enrolling into this program. The school has been lying to students about job placement statistics for decades and using predatory recruiting to get 100s of 1000s of our nations' students into massive debt that they cannot repay. No admissions standards. They allow anyone in under the guise of "education for all" but really what they are doing is providing subprime loans and massive amounts of debt to people who have no business being approved for them.... Read More This school will tell you anything in order to get you to enroll with them, and they have absolutely no incentive to tell you the truth. By the time you realize what a scam it is, you will likely already owe 30,000 which you will still have to pay back. The school is regarded negatively in the industry, with job recruiters routinely saying that they put all of the resumes they get from Ai on the bottom of the stack. They have no standards for who they allow in, so why should employers hold any standards for who graduates from there? We are the only generation which has student loan debt like this. Not our parents, grandparents-- nobody in our nation's history. Corporate corruption of our higher ed system is turning the college experience into a farce, a high-risk gamble that leaves the majority of students with lifelong financial ruin. There are ALTERNATIVES to an education at Ai. Ask pros what they think of it? Research the school via the department of educations own "college scorecard" site. Search for the MoveOn petition called "Art Institutes sued for $11 BILLION, what about the students and families affected?" and read the student stories at the bottom. Join "I Am Ai" on Facebook to hear from over 5,000 students why the school is a bad decision. No matter what you want to do with your future- The Art Institute is not a good choice. Paying $1000 a month for life is not a good choice, even IF by some miracle you do find success after going there.

Lied about graduates status in the working world. Lied about graduates. Lied about loan amounts and the ability to pay them off once a graduate. Lied about quality of classes, supplies, environment, teachers, etc. Lied about the quality of the degree, pushed for the Bachelor's instead of a less expensive Associates. Lied about job placement abilities that the school supposedly provided. The Art Institutes are being sued across the nation, many have closed. It's a scam profit college. Only the good... Read More artists who are wise will know that Disney and Pixar and other major companies WILL NOT HIRE YOU IF YOU GO TO THE ART INSTITUTE> THEY LAUGH AT YOUR RESUME WHEN YOU PUT THIS SCHOOL ON IT. DON'T GO there!

This place is a rip off. While some teachers are excellent and provide great advice for improvement, others have never worked in the field or even know what is required to succeed. Their job placement program is a complete fraud if you're not attending a school in California. By this I mean they will try to stick you in a job that has little to nothing to do with your degree and say that you've been successfully placed. Internships are limited to none and actual knowledge of the job market is limited... Read More at best.

Do not go to The Art Institute for a Game or Animation Degree. This school accepts everyone, charges way too much for tuition ($100,000) , tries to trick you into spending money on unnecessary things such as $1000 rent per month for housing (no this cannot be split between students and you have to share a room with two other students), and an intro kit ($1000) that has items in it that you will never use. They have a HUGE dropout rate, and they say they will will help get you a job. The jobs they... Read More send their students are not art related 87% of the time. The four years I went there, they rarely had a career adviser or a head of department because their staff either kept being let go or quitting. A quarter of the teachers there were very knowledgeable and extremely helpful, while the rest were there just to make a few bucks. The Art Institute will squeeze every dollar out of you, and if you don't have what they want, they will say they will work with you but just send you to collections in the end, even after you have been making steady monthly payments.

The place itself felt rather executive but the faculty were helpful. The location strangely fit every major into one building, had id cards for classrooms, and at least two security guards on grounds at all times. The Orange County one by comparison separates the cooking classes from the computer related ones, has less strict security measures and a relaxed atmosphere from the staff. Although I only visited the latter a few times, I felt safe at both schools. Curriculum is surprisingly easy to attend... Read More when it's something you like. You can always arrange an alternative class if you want a different type of focus too.

Diploma mill. They only cared about taking your money; most of the classes were subpar for what we were paying. Animation program was great, but all surrounding classes were generally poor and Career Services were really of no help after graduating. You only get out of this school what you put into it, and they ended up having an 80% drop out rate by the 4th quarter. Teachers helped with networking, and you take every opportunity offered, but ultimately you can learn the content taught for the primary... Read More major by yourself with a book and time. A lot of students came out too generalized to be hirable when the industry was looking for specialized artists.

Diploma mill. They only cared about taking your money; most of the classes were subpar for what we were paying. Animation program was great, but all surrounding classes were generally poor and Career Services were really of no help after graduating. You only get out of this school what you put into it, and they ended up having an 80% drop out rate by the 4th quarter. Teachers helped with networking, and you take every opportunity offered, but ultimately you can learn the content taught for the primary... Read More major by yourself with a book and time. A lot of students came out too generalized to be hirable when the industry was looking for specialized artists.

Allow me to begin by saying I had such high hopes and went in with high motivation, excitement and honestly joy because I felt as an artist, I was going to be raised up in a place with like minded people. Wrong. My first class, the instructor couldn't pronounce the vocabulary words. One professor LOST my final and my final project and I fought for two months to have my grade readjusted, because they didn't believe me-and then he found my work. The attendance policy is terrible (you can miss two classes-the... Read More third you are dropped from the course). I was working full time and my work schedule was conflicting. The online classes are rough. So much work. And this is coming from a girl who is finishing her bachelors degree from WGU online at my own pace...18 months early. Oh yes and the best part- I did not take any financial aid because it was not needed and after paying everything in full I received an email from financial advising on a Friday at 4pm saying I had until 6 to pay 10k WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. And the email did not even go to me, it went to my father who's email they were not provided with. Not to mention the fact that I already have a job that is WAY above entry level and they refused to allow me to use that as my internship. So on top of working 50+hours a week and being in school full time I had to add an UNPAID internship to the mix? Needless to say it was an extremely frustrating time in my life and I started off SO excited. I am now at Western Govenors University and could not be more satisfied with the cost or the instruction.

The School: Dont count on much, full "open labs" that regularly had class being held. Where was a student supposed to work on His or Her assignments if the "open" lab was being used as a classroom half the day? Too many students not enough computers/rooms available. To give you an idea, the building was once a parking structure, narrow hallways and completely filthy bathrooms. I came from out of state and paid 160k because of student housing, book costs, and hidden fees like licensing software and... Read More food, because the school only had few vending machines which were over priced and under stocked so eating out was the only option some days. The "Professors": The one professor that was teaching my degree was brilliant. He would gladly lay down his life for any one of his students. I respect him and wish him the best of luck in everything he does. The others who taught gen-eds where no more educated than I was. Power points and test seemed to be there forte and where never available for individual questions and concerns. To say the least it was an easy school to pass and an easier school to cheat the system. The "students": When I started 2009 I had to show a portfolio of artwork that I previously had before attending. After my second year. maybe late 2009 the school just exploded with new students. It was clear that they got rid of the requirements and started taking anyone off the street and putting them into a classroom. The TALENT level of these students were embarrassing. The professors had to give grading curves and extra credit to everyone to boost there grades even the ones who were doing well. On my last year out, it was obvious what this school wanted... Money. These people would be approved for the first year of college and drop out because it was too expensive. Its a shame because most first year courses are general education like MATH or SOCIAL STUDIES... DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM HERE?? Career Services and student services: They would say things like "things are on the up and up. you'll find a job, we just had 12 people accept a job in there field last semester and your work is way better than theirs" where were those jobs? why wasn't I offered any? Well its hard for them considering the 6 student services administrators had 200 kids to look over. It was clear that these poor women just couldn't handle the work load, and when it came to registration you had have lines all day of at least 50 people waiting patiently to register for classes... Never have I ever seen such a poor example of uncooperative miserable and annoyed professionals in my life. DONT count on getting help from them. Truth of it is that I was the first in my family to go to college. I had this fire and energy that I brought to my majors classes everyday and I was good, talented and focused. I took 4 months off of school my last year, and took a job out in California even though Ai wouldn't accept it as an internship, I worked on Big Budget films. I came back with even more energy and I graduated. Then I struggled, couldn't afford rent and a student loan payment. (normally you get 6 months of interest free student loans that are on hold. I on the other hand used 4 months of that on my break from school and only had 2 months to find a job and pay the $1100 a month repayment plan that was in there words "the lowest we can go" I found a job in my field for $10 an hour and after 3 months was let go again because the company was closing. After a while of avoiding student loan calls I had to move home (with my parents) and accept a warehouse position for $10 an hour. Im bitter and my loans were 160k are now up to 190k. (interest) all of the promises that were giving to me as I filled out the application to this school were nothing but lies and what a horrible mistake I made listening to this facility telling me I'm an individual, unique and creative. I was just another loan and another stupid kid sucked into there greed and unfortunately they are still accepting students. My best intention was to be proud of my career and get a good college experience/degree, and I feel this school has completely ruined my life. I have a B.A. that is meaningless and a whopping student loan debt that I will have for the rest of my life...

The school is good but it is expensive. I live in student housing and we have our rooms searched at least once a month. There is no alcohol allowed in the apartments regardless of your age. I only recommend attending this school if you have money and you have a place to live outside of the student housing. My car has been vandalized due to the careless "security". I have no problem with the teachers they have taught me a lot since I first attended the school. DO NOT LIVE IN THE STUDENT HOUSING!!!... Read More THIS IS A WARNING!!