The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

Date: Jun 23 2010
Major: Design Arts - Industrial Design/Graphic Design/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
I just got kicked out of AIP because I could not afford the rediculous tuition. The school operates more like a money hungry business than a place for students to further their education. It is a rip-off. My tuition was over $100,000 for a Bachelor's in Graphic Arts, yet the school would nickel and dime me at every chance they got. Need to print something? That will be one dollar. Got locked out of your dormitory? $25 fee for that. Left your student ID in your room? Tack on another $25 for not "being able to present to security." Need a new ID? $50. Each week the teachers would assign projects and I was supposed to just go out (off campus since the school store doesnt even carry a lot of things we need) and spend $10-40 a week on supplies and that's just for ONE class. When I was taking multiple design classes everything began to add up. The supply kit is a joke. It's valued at $800 yet is useless as many new students soon find out. $800 for some paper and markers that will never get used. Nice. Take the Art Institute for what it is…a place to take your money and if you put effort in you end up with a degree that most perspective employers laugh at. I feel like I have wasted the last year and a half of my college career. I now have all these useless credits that will not transfer for the most part. It feels good to be out of AIP because I honestly felt like I was learning nothing valuable…yes, I was learning a lot but the information was outdated and most of it had nothing to do with my field of work anyway. I have learned more about graphic design on my own and I plan to keep it that way.