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CollegeROIData

Academy of Art University vs Allegheny Wesleyan College

Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data

Reviewed by CollegeROIData Editorial Team · Updated

Verdict

Academy of Art University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Allegheny Wesleyan College at 100.0%. Average median debt: Academy of Art University at $29,980 vs Allegheny Wesleyan College at $19,616. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $53,278 vs $41,250.

MetricAcademy of Art UniversityAllegheny Wesleyan College
Graduation Rate100.0%100.0%
School TypePrivatePrivate
StateCaOh
Avg Median Debt
Average median debt across all tracked majors
$29,980$19,616*
Avg 1yr Earnings
Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors
$53,278*$41,250
Majors Tracked184
Best ROI MajorComputer Software and Media Applications (94/100)*Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (65/100)
Best Major Debt$25,483$19,616*
Best Major 1yr Earnings$95,000*$45,000

Academy of Art University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Allegheny Wesleyan College at 100.0%. Average median debt: Academy of Art University at $29,980 vs Allegheny Wesleyan College at $19,616. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $53,278 vs $41,250.

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Academy of Art University and Allegheny Wesleyan College graduate students at similar rates — 100.0% and 100.0% respectively. With completion rates comparable, the comparison reduces to cost, earnings, and program mix; the institutional-effect-on-completion question essentially nets out.

On debt, the gap is meaningful: graduates of Allegheny Wesleyan College carry an average median debt of $19,616 compared to $29,980 at the more expensive option. Federal student loan debt at the higher figure typically translates into roughly $318/month in standard 10-year repayment versus $208/month at the lower — a real cash-flow difference that compounds over the first decade post-graduation.

Early-career earnings run moderately apart — $41,250 versus $53,278. At the mid-range gap, the ROI math is usually decided by the debt side rather than the earnings side: the school with the more favorable cost structure typically wins the absolute return calculation even when its earnings figure is the lower of the two.

Academy of Art University sits in Ca and Allegheny Wesleyan College in Oh. The geographic spread matters for cost (in-state vs. out-of-state tuition typically diverges sharply at public schools) and for post-graduation labor market (most schools place students primarily into regional employers). Cross-state comparisons should account for the residency-cost differential at any public option and the labor-market trajectory each campus connects students to.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026.