“Private visual arts college in Minneapolis, one of few offering a major in comic art.”
The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is a private college specializing in the visual arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Enrolling approximately 800 students, MCAD is one of just a few major art schools to offer a major in comic art.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Action (Fall entry)
Eligibility for full-tuition merit scholarship; merit notification by Dec 15
Priority Decision (Fall entry)
Merit notification by Feb 25
Regular Decision (Fall entry)
Merit notification by Apr 15
Enrollment Confirmation Reply Date
Applies to all admission tracks
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$45,484
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
MCAD's signature creative-industries cluster — alumni regularly land in feature animation, indie comics, and book-illustration markets. Animation and Comic Art are particularly distinctive among AICAD schools.
Houses Graphic Design and Product & Furniture Design programs, with strong ties to Twin Cities design firms and the regional manufacturing economy.
Studio-based program with concentrations in Drawing & Painting, Sculpture & Expanded Media, and Print Paper Book Arts — the latter is a distinctive MCAD specialty.
Concentrations in Art & Technology (interactive, generative, and computational practice), Filmmaking, and Photography.
BS in Creative Entrepreneurship (MCAD's only Bachelor of Science) plus the BFA in Creative Writing — the entrepreneurship program emphasizes client and community projects.
On-campus interdisciplinary MFA in Visual Studies and three online MA programs (Creative Leadership; Graphic and Web Design; Sustainable Design).
One of just a few BFA comic art programs in the United States.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $45,484
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
