Private nonprofit · Community college

American Musical and Dramatic Academy

New York, New York · Large city

#5 most selective in New York
0%
Transfer rate
$41,416
Avg net price
72%
Grad / completion
$26,975
Median earnings

American Musical and Dramatic Academy is a private nonprofit certificate-granting institution in New York, New York (large city setting), enrolling 1,438 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,438 undergradsLarge cityVery selective · 24% admitCold wintersNear the coast

About New York, New York

New York, often called New York City, is the most populous city in the United States. In the pre-Columbian era, the area of present-day New York City was inhabited by Algonquians, including Munsee-speaking Lenape. New York City is frequently the setting for novels, movies, and television programs and has been described as the cultural capital of the world. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
4 miles to New York, NY
To the ocean
< 1 mile
Nearest airport
6 miles to LaGuardia (LGA) · major hub

How American Musical and Dramatic Academy compares

Selectivity24.5%

More selective than 96% · #5 most selective of 57 in New York

Graduation rate72%

Higher than 65% · #90 of 185 in New York

First-year retention83%

Higher than 70%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$26,975

Higher than 24% · #125 of 148 in New York

Average net price$41,416

Cheaper than 2% · #168 cheapest of 175 in New York

Median debt at graduation$15,250

Lower than 13%

Student–faculty ratio5 : 1

Lower than 97%

Undergraduate enrollment1,438

Larger than 78%

Percentiles compare American Musical and Dramatic Academy with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in New York.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,452students
  • Undergraduate1,43899%
  • Graduate141%

Undergraduates by gender

1,438undergrads
  • Women1,00170%
  • Men43730%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White30%
  • Black17%
  • Hispanic17%
  • Asian1.9%
  • Other or multiracial35%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,438
Graduate enrollment
14
Student–faculty ratio
5 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
33%
First-generation students
25%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$49,079
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$56,637

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition
$46,928
Room & board
$19,100
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$65,647
Average net price
$41,416

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Admissions

Admission rate
24.5%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
72%
Graduated on time (4 years)
47%
First-year retention
83%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$21,168
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$26,975
Median debt at graduation
$15,250
Students with federal loans
59%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
38%

About 25% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
47%
Low-income (Pell)
62%
First-generation
65%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,128
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
78%
Housing charge (year)
$11,200
Meal plan (year)
$4,300
Application fee
Free

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
8
Property offenses (2022–2024)
5

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (1,452 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

4.3reported offenses a year
2.7 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
1.3
Rape
1.0
Fondling
1.0
Robbery
0.7
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$25,437
$30–48k
$27,924
$48–75k
$43,968
$75–110k
$51,214
$110k+
$59,423

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$198,500

$43,968/year × about 4.5 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$14,962
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 100% — get grant money from American Musical and Dramatic Academy itself, averaging $14,962, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 470 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$26,975
Typical debt at graduation
$15,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
57%
Out-earn a HS grad
33%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$28,891
Men
$24,932

Women out-earn men by $3,959 (16%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
49.5″
Annual snow
29.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, New York Cntrl PK Twr, NY US station (1.1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to American Musical and Dramatic Academy

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare American Musical and Dramatic Academy side by side →

Colleges near American Musical and Dramatic Academy

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.