Seattle Film Institute
Seattle, WA · official site ↗
Private for-profitSpecial Focus: Technology-RelatedSmall
36
Fin. Resilience
Seattle Film Institute is a private for-profit institution in Seattle, WA, classified by Carnegie as “Special Focus: Technology-Related.”
It enrolls about 65 undergraduates and is benchmarked here against 14 peer institutions (Special Focus: Technology-Related · Private for-profit).
On Ibex's Financial Resilience score it rates 36 out of 100 within that peer group, a transparent composite of endowment per undergraduate, net tuition revenue per student, and instructional spend per student.
Its strongest standing relative to peers is operating margin (35%, 100th percentile).
Its weakest is pell completion gap (+22.4%).
Peer group
Special Focus: Technology-Related · Private for-profit
14 institutions
No cross-metric risk flags triggered.
Policy & demographic exposure
How exposed Seattle Film Institute is to the structural shifts reshaping higher ed: a composite structural-risk index plus the 2025 federal budget law’s endowment excise tax, Grad PLUS elimination, new Parent PLUS borrowing cap and new Workforce Pell short-term-credential opportunity, and the demographic enrollment cliff. Only signals that apply to this institution are shown.
Structural risk indexAn indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure) blending operating margin, months of cash cushion, tuition dependency and the home-state enrollment cliff. Screens for the financial and demographic strain that precedes closures and mergers, directional, not a prediction.
55
ElevatedGrad PLUS exposureShare of the school's graduate federal loan dollars that came from Grad PLUS, the program the 2025 budget law eliminates for new borrowers from July 2026 (FSA Direct Loan data). Higher = more graduate borrowing that will disappear above the new caps.
37.2%
Moderate exposureHigher than 74% of schools nationally
AY2025-26 YTD (through Q2, Dec 2025)
Avg Grad PLUS loanAverage Grad PLUS loan per borrower (FSA). The 2025 law caps unsubsidized grad borrowing at $20,500/yr and ends Grad PLUS, this is the average per-student amount that vanishes above the cap. The depth half of the Grad PLUS shock; pair with Grad PLUS exposure (the reliance share).
$36,397
Above the capHigher than 88% of schools nationally
AY2025-26 YTD (through Q2, Dec 2025)
Parent PLUS cap gapHow far the average Parent PLUS loan at this school exceeds the new $20,000/yr Parent PLUS borrowing cap the 2025 budget law imposes from July 2026 (FSA Direct Loan data). A positive gap is per-borrower financing that must shift to private loans, savings, or institutional aid; shown only where the average already tops the cap.
$12,100
Far above capHigher than 74% of schools nationally
AY2025-26 YTD (through Q2, Dec 2025)
Workforce Pell exposureShare of this school's measured credentials that are undergraduate certificates, the sub-associate tier the 2025 budget law's new Workforce Pell Grant makes Pell-eligible from July 2026 (short-term programs of 150–600 clock hours over 8–15 weeks). An opportunity signal: higher = more of what the school already produces could draw new federal grant aid. Source: College Scorecard Field-of-Study; an upper-bound proxy since the certificate tier spans varying lengths.
12.9%
SubstantialHigher than 20% of schools nationally
Enrollment cliff (home state)Projected change in the institution's home-state high-school graduates from 2025 to 2041 (WICHE). The U.S. total falls about 13%; a directional feeder-market signal, not an enrollment forecast.
-10.9%
Steep declineIndicative signals, not forecasts, see each metric’s definition and the methodology. Endowment-tax, Grad PLUS, Parent PLUS and Workforce Pell figures appear only where the institution is actually exposed; “nationally” compares against all schools that report each signal.
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Revenue composition
Where the money comes from
$3.1M total revenue · IPEDS FY2022-23
Tuition & fees is the largest single source at 94% of revenue.
Tuition & fees93.7%
Other revenue6.1%
Investment return0.2%
Where each dollar of revenue comes from, as a share of total positive revenue. Sources are standardized across public (GASB) and private (FASB) reporting; a net investment loss in a down market is shown as 0% and excluded from the mix.
Federal funding mix
Which agencies fund this schoolThe share of this school's federal funding that comes from each awarding agency in FY2024. These are dollars agencies committed (obligations), not dollars the school spent, so the total will not match the audited federal-awards-expended figure elsewhere on this page. Matched to the school by its own SAM.gov Unique Entity ID.
$207,766 obligated · FY2024
Education alone accounts for 100% of it.
Education100.0%
Federal dollars each agency committed to this institution in FY2024, as a share of its total positive obligations (USAspending.gov). Obligations are money committed, not money spent, so this total will not match the audited “Federal awards expended” figure elsewhere on this page. Amounts an agency reclaimed during the year are excluded.
Net price by income
Average net price by family income
After grant & scholarship aid · Scorecard 2024-25
$0–30K$39,209
$30–48K$40,856
$75–110K$46,934
Average annual net price (total cost minus grant and scholarship aid) paid by federal-aid recipients in each family-income band. Lower-income bands often pay less where need-based aid is strong.
Financial Health
Net tuition revenue / FTETuition revenue per full-time-equivalent student after institutional aid/discounts, what tuition actually nets.
Average
$23,436
50th percentile in peer grouppeer median $23,734
2024-2514 peers
Instructional spend / FTESpending on instruction per FTE student, how much of the budget reaches the classroom.
Below peers
$4,980
21st percentile in peer grouppeer median $6,688
2024-2514 peers
In-state tuition & feesPublished in-state tuition and fees before aid (sticker price).
$33,000
75th percentile in peer grouppeer median $29,874
2024-2512 peers
Out-of-state tuition & feesPublished out-of-state tuition and fees before aid (sticker price).
$33,000
75th percentile in peer grouppeer median $29,874
2024-2512 peers
Avg annual cost of attendanceAverage total annual cost, tuition, fees and living costs, before aid.
$55,496
82nd percentile in peer grouppeer median $49,705
2024-2511 peers
Avg monthly faculty salaryAverage monthly salary of full-time faculty (IPEDS) – a proxy for faculty investment.
Average
$5,625
42nd percentile in peer grouppeer median $5,831
2024-2512 peers
Average monthly salary of full-time faculty, as reported to IPEDS.
Average net priceAverage yearly price families actually pay after grants and scholarships.
Average
$41,595
67th percentile in peer grouppeer median $35,681
2024-2512 peers
Net price, low-income families (under $30K)Average yearly cost after all grant and scholarship aid for students from families earning under ~$30,000. Lower is better.
Below peers
$39,209
80th percentile in peer grouppeer median $33,080
2024-2510 peers
Average annual net price (cost of attendance minus all grant and scholarship aid) paid by students whose families earn under about $30,000 a year (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). This is what the neediest admitted students actually pay, often far below the sticker price. Read it beside the overall net price and the high-income net price: a low figure here signals strong need-based aid. Lower is better.
Net price, middle-income families ($30K-$48K)Average yearly cost after all grant and scholarship aid for students from families earning roughly $30,000 to $48,000. Lower is better.
Below peers
$40,856
80th percentile in peer grouppeer median $27,673
2024-2510 peers
Average annual net price (cost of attendance minus all grant and scholarship aid) paid by students whose families earn roughly $30,000 to $48,000 a year (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). It is the middle rung of the income net-price ladder: read it together with the low-income (under ~$30K) and high-income (over ~$110K) net prices to see how steeply the school discounts as family income rises. Lower is better.
Net price, upper-income families ($75K-$110K)Average yearly cost after all grant and scholarship aid for students from families earning roughly $75,000 to $110,000. Lower is better.
Below peers
$46,934
73rd percentile in peer grouppeer median $35,504
2024-2511 peers
Average annual net price (cost of attendance minus all grant and scholarship aid) paid by students whose families earn roughly $75,000 to $110,000 a year (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). It is the fifth rung of the income net-price ladder, just below the full-pay tier: read it with the lower rungs and the high-income net price to see the full cost gradient by family income. Lower is better.
Operating marginNet surplus as a share of total revenue, whether the institution runs in the black.
Strong
35%
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median -0.4%
FY2022-2314 peers
Net surplus as a share of total revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23): (total revenues − total expenses) ÷ total revenues. A surplus above 4% is strong; a thin surplus near 0% leaves little margin for shocks.
Tuition dependencyTuition's share of total revenue, how exposed the budget is to enrollment swings.
93.7%
43rd percentile in peer grouppeer median 96.8%
FY2022-2314 peers
Tuition & fees as a share of total revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23). Higher = more exposed to enrollment swings.
Avg Parent PLUS loanAverage Parent PLUS loan originated per recipient family.
$32,100
85th percentile in peer grouppeer median $18,387
2024-2513 peers
Average federal Parent PLUS loan per recipient (U.S. Dept. of Education, FSA Direct Loan Dashboard, AY2025-26 YTD). Parent PLUS faces new aggregate borrowing caps under the 2025 budget law; a high average shows how far families currently borrow above other federal aid. Companion to the Grad PLUS and Parent PLUS cap-gap signals. Context, not a quality measure.
Financial responsibility scoreED financial-responsibility composite score (-1.0 to 3.0; >=1.5 is passing).
Strong
3.0
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 1.8
FY2022-23 (Federal Student Aid)11 peers
The U.S. Department of Education's financial-responsibility composite score, a -1.0 to +3.0 measure of an institution's solvency built from its audited finances. 1.5 and above passes; 1.0-1.4 is a zone needing oversight; below 1.0 fails and can trigger letter-of-credit or cash-monitoring requirements. ED computes it only for private non-profit and proprietary schools, so it is reported only where scored. Higher is safer. Banded against the school's peer group.
Grad PLUS exposureShare of the school's graduate federal loan dollars that came from Grad PLUS, the program the 2025 budget law eliminates for new borrowers from July 2026 (FSA Direct Loan data). Higher = more graduate borrowing that will disappear above the new caps.
Moderate exposure
37.2%
2024-25
Share of the institution's graduate federal loan dollars (Grad Unsubsidized + Grad PLUS) that came from Grad PLUS, the program the 2025 budget law eliminates for new borrowers from July 1, 2026, alongside new caps on graduate borrowing. A higher share means more of the school's graduate students rely on borrowing that will no longer exist above the unsubsidized cap. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education / Federal Student Aid Direct Loan Dashboard, primarily award year 2025-26 (year-to-date through Q2, December 2025), the most current federal data; schools not yet reporting Grad PLUS in 2025-26 retain their most recent complete year (2024-25), shown per school. The reliance share is stable across the two vintages. Shown only for schools with Grad PLUS originations; an exposure signal, not a forecast of revenue loss.
Avg Grad PLUS loanAverage Grad PLUS loan per borrower (FSA). The 2025 law caps unsubsidized grad borrowing at $20,500/yr and ends Grad PLUS, this is the average per-student amount that vanishes above the cap. The depth half of the Grad PLUS shock; pair with Grad PLUS exposure (the reliance share).
Above the cap
$36,397
2024-25
Average Grad PLUS loan per recipient (FSA Direct Loan Dashboard, award year 2025-26 year-to-date through Q2, with 2024-25 full-year retained where 2025-26 is not yet reported). The 2025 budget law eliminates Grad PLUS for new borrowers from July 1, 2026 and caps unsubsidized graduate borrowing at $20,500/year, so this is the average per-borrower amount that will no longer be available above that cap. Paired with Grad PLUS exposure (the institution's reliance share), it is the depth axis of the Grad PLUS shock: how much each affected borrower stands to lose. Shown only where Grad PLUS was originated.
Parent PLUS cap gapHow far the average Parent PLUS loan at this school exceeds the new $20,000/yr Parent PLUS borrowing cap the 2025 budget law imposes from July 2026 (FSA Direct Loan data). A positive gap is per-borrower financing that must shift to private loans, savings, or institutional aid; shown only where the average already tops the cap.
Far above cap
$12,100
2024-25
How far the AVERAGE Parent PLUS loan at this institution exceeds the new $20,000 annual Parent PLUS borrowing cap the 2025 budget law imposes from July 1, 2026 (the law also sets a $65,000 per-student aggregate Parent PLUS limit). A positive gap means the typical parent borrowing here currently takes more in a year than the new cap will allow, financing that must shift to private loans, savings, or institutional aid. Average annual loan per Parent PLUS recipient from the U.S. Dept. of Education / Federal Student Aid Direct Loan Dashboard, primarily award year 2025-26 (year-to-date through Q2, December 2025), with 2024-25 full-year retained where 2025-26 is not yet reported (labelled per school). Shown only where the average already exceeds the new cap; an exposure signal, not a forecast.
Structural risk indexAn indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure) blending operating margin, months of cash cushion, tuition dependency and the home-state enrollment cliff. Screens for the financial and demographic strain that precedes closures and mergers, directional, not a prediction.
Elevated
55
2024-25
An indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure), an equal-weight blend of the stress signals we measure: thin or negative operating margin, low months of operating cushion, high tuition dependency, and a shrinking home-state high-school-graduate pipeline (enrollment cliff). Averaged over whichever signals are available (at least two required). It screens for the financial and demographic pressures that precede closures and mergers, a directional indicator, NOT a prediction that any institution will close, and not a credit rating.
Federal funding obligatedTotal federal dollars all agencies committed to this institution in FY2024, across grants, contracts, and student aid.
$207,766
FY2024 (USAspending.gov)
Obligations reported to USAspending.gov for FY2024 (Oct 2023 to Sep 2024), summed across every awarding agency. This is money committed, not money spent, so it will not equal the audited 'Federal awards expended' figure and the two should not be subtracted from one another. Negative amounts (agencies reclaiming prior commitments) are excluded.
Federal funding agenciesHow many distinct federal agencies committed money to this institution in FY2024.
1
FY2024 (USAspending.gov)
A count of awarding agencies with positive FY2024 obligations. Neither high nor low is inherently better: a community college funded solely by the Department of Education is behaving normally, while a research university typically draws on ten or more agencies.
Largest funder's shareShare of federal funding that comes from the single largest awarding agency.
100%
FY2024 (USAspending.gov)
The largest agency's FY2024 obligations as a share of the institution's total positive federal obligations. Read it as concentration, not risk: most teaching colleges sit near 100% because nearly all their federal money is Department of Education student aid.
Graduation & completion
Graduation rate · first-time, full-time
57.1%
57.1% graduate within 6 years (150% of normal time)
Counts only students who entered full-time as first-time freshmen and earned a bachelor's here, the conventional headline rate. Excludes part-time entrants and transfer-ins.
Completion rate · all students
81%
81% earned a degree or certificate within 8 years (IPEDS Outcome Measures)
The broader cohort, also counts part-time entrants and transfer-ins, and any credential. More inclusive, so it can run higher than the graduation rate.
Why two numbers? They measure different students over different windows, so they are not directly comparable. The graduation rate is the standard federal headline but tracks only first-time, full-time students through a bachelor's; the all-students completion rate adds the part-time and transfer students it leaves out, over a longer window. Read each for what it covers. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Graduation Rates & Outcome Measures, via College Scorecard.
Enrollment & Pipeline
Undergraduate enrollmentNumber of degree-seeking undergraduates (IPEDS fall headcount). A size measure, not a quality signal.
65
8th percentile in peer grouppeer median 247
2024-2513 peers
First-year retentionShare of first-time, full-time freshmen who return for a second year, an early signal of student fit and support.
Average
77.8%
64th percentile in peer grouppeer median 76.8%
2024-2511 peers
Graduation rate (6-yr · first-time, full-time)Of first-time, full-time freshmen, the share who earn a bachelor's at this institution within six years (150% of normal time) – the conventional headline graduation rate. It counts only first-time, full-time students and excludes part-time entrants and transfer-ins, who are captured instead by the all-students completion rate.
Average
57.1%
58th percentile in peer grouppeer median 56.2%
2024-2512 peers
Pell recipient shareShare of undergraduates on a federal Pell Grant, a proxy for the share from lower-income families.
56.7%
77th percentile in peer grouppeer median 34.4%
2024-2513 peers
Completion rate (all students · 8-yr)Of ALL entering degree-seeking undergraduates, full- and part-time, first-time and transfer-in, the share who earned a degree or certificate at this institution within eight years (IPEDS Outcome Measures). Broader than the graduation rate, which counts only first-time, full-time students, so the two are measured on different students and are not directly comparable.
Strong
81%
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 57.7%
2024-2513 peers
Share of ALL entering degree-seeking undergraduates, full- and part-time, first-time and transfer-in, who earned a degree or certificate at this institution within eight years (IPEDS Outcome Measures, via College Scorecard). Broader and more inclusive than the graduation-rate figures, which count only first-time, full-time students entering a bachelor's program, so the two are measured on different groups of students and are not directly comparable.
Adult learners (25+)Share of undergraduates aged 25 or older.
58.3%
85th percentile in peer grouppeer median 40.5%
2024-2513 peers
Share of undergraduates aged 25 or older (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). Read as context on the student mix: schools serving many working adults look different on persistence and part-time measures than traditional-age campuses, and neither is inherently better.
Part-time undergraduatesShare of undergraduates enrolled part-time.
4.6%
69th percentile in peer grouppeer median 3.5%
2024-2513 peers
Share of undergraduates enrolled part-time (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). Context, not quality: a high part-time share is common at community and commuter institutions and affects graduation-rate comparisons, which are based only on full-time, first-time students.
Median family incomeMedian family income of students at this institution.
$24,493
54th percentile in peer grouppeer median $24,493
2024-2513 peers
Median family income of students at this institution (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). An affordability and access signal, not a measure of quality: a lower figure typically means the school enrolls more students from modest-income families.
Low-income students (under $30K)Share of students from families earning under about $30,000 a year.
65.5%
92nd percentile in peer grouppeer median 55.5%
2024-2513 peers
Share of students whose families earn under roughly $30,000 a year (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). A direct low-income access signal: a higher share usually reflects a school enrolling more students from modest-income households, and pairs naturally with the Pell recipient share.
Women (share of undergraduates)Share of undergraduates who are women.
29.2%
15th percentile in peer grouppeer median 44.4%
2024-2513 peers
Share of undergraduates who are women (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). Reported as context on the student mix, not a measure of quality.
8-year completion (all students)Share of all entering students, including part-time and transfer-in, who earn an award within 8 years. Higher is better.
Strong
81%
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 57.7%
2024-2513 peers
Share of ALL entering students, full-time and part-time, first-time and transfer-in, who complete an award within eight years (College Scorecard Outcome Measures, FY2024-25). It is a broader, more representative completion signal than the first-time-full-time graduation rates, because it counts the part-time and returning students those rates exclude. Higher is better.
Transfer-out rateShare of students who transfer to a different school within the tracking window. Shown as context, not quality.
0%
67th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0%
2024-2512 peers
Share of students who transfer OUT to a different institution within the tracking window (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). Reported as context, not a quality measure: it runs high at access-oriented schools and two-year feeders whose students routinely move on to a four-year program, and it should be read together with the completion and retention figures rather than on its own.
12-month FTE enrollmentFull-time-equivalent enrollment over the full year, the denominator for per-student finance measures.
106
14th percentile in peer grouppeer median 299
2022-2314 peers
Full-time-equivalent enrollment over the full 12-month year (IPEDS 12-month enrollment, 2022-23). Counts part-time students at their fractional load, so it runs above fall full-time headcount and is the denominator used for per-student finance measures.
Student-faculty ratioStudents per instructional faculty member, lower usually means smaller classes and more contact.
8:1
46th percentile in peer grouppeer median 10:1
fall 202313 peers
Students per instructional faculty member (IPEDS, fall 2023). Lower generally means smaller classes and more faculty contact, though the measure mixes undergraduate and graduate teaching and is institution-reported.
Out-of-state studentsShare of first-time students whose legal residence is outside the institution's state.
0%
2024-25
Share of first-time degree-seeking students coming from outside the state (IPEDS, Fall 2023). A reach signal: high values mark national-draw institutions, low values mark in-state and commuter campuses. Context, not quality.
Fully online studentsShare of students enrolled exclusively in distance-education (online) courses.
0%
50th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0.5%
2024-2514 peers
Share of students enrolled exclusively in distance-education courses (IPEDS, Fall 2023). Describes delivery model, not quality; online-heavy institutions look different on residential measures.
Applicant-pool diversity shiftProjected change in the non-white share of the home state's public high-school graduating class, class of 2025 to 2037.
+7.4%
WICHE 2024 (11th ed.)
Percentage-point change in the non-white share of the institution's home-state public high-school graduating class between the class of 2025 (the national peak) and 2037 (WICHE, Knocking at the College Door, 11th ed., public-school race detail). A forward look at who the future applicant pool will be: a positive value means the state's graduating class is projected to grow more racially diverse. Strategic recruiting context, not a forecast of any one school's enrollment, and a college recruits from many states.
Hybrid (some online) enrollmentShare of students enrolled in some but not all courses online (hybrid), Fall 2023.
0%
71st percentile in peer grouppeer median 0%
Fall 202314 peers
Share of all students taking some, but not all, of their courses at a distance (IPEDS, Fall 2023). This is the hybrid middle ground between the fully online share and the fully in-person share, and it signals how far a school has moved coursework online without going exclusively remote. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
Transfer-in share (undergraduate)Transfer-in students as a share of undergraduate enrollment, Fall 2023.
30%
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 8%
Fall 202313 peers
Transfer-in students as a share of all undergraduates (IPEDS, Fall 2023). A high share means the school depends on transfer pipelines rather than first-time freshmen, which changes both recruitment strategy and melt/retention risk. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
Graduate share of enrollmentGraduate students as a share of total enrollment, Fall 2023.
25.9%
93rd percentile in peer grouppeer median 2%
Fall 202314 peers
Graduate students as a share of total headcount enrollment (IPEDS, Fall 2023). It separates research-intensive universities with large graduate bodies from undergraduate-focused institutions. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
Women share of facultyWomen as a share of instructional staff (full- and part-time), Fall 2023.
38.7%
57th percentile in peer grouppeer median 38.6%
2023-2414 peers
Women as a share of all instructional staff, full- and part-time combined (IPEDS Human Resources, Fall 2023). A gender-composition signal for the teaching workforce. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
Faculty of color shareU.S. faculty of color as a share of instructional staff, Fall 2023.
12.9%
36th percentile in peer grouppeer median 23.7%
2023-2414 peers
Instructional staff who are American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or two-or-more races, as a share of all instructional staff (IPEDS Human Resources, Fall 2023). Nonresident and race-unknown staff are excluded from the numerator. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
Direct competitors within 100 miNumber of same-type institutions (same Carnegie class and control) within 100 miles.
Average
1
50th percentile in peer grouppeer median 2
2024-2514 peers
How many institutions of the same type (same Carnegie classification and control, i.e. the schools competing for the same students) sit within roughly 100 miles. A higher count means a more crowded local market and a harder yield fight, which matters most as the regional pool of high school graduates shrinks; a low count means the school has its catchment largely to itself. Distance is straight-line from campus coordinates. Banded against the school's peer group. Fewer is better for recruiting leverage.
States recruited fromNumber of distinct US states sending at least one first-time student.
Below peers
1
17th percentile in peer grouppeer median 6
Fall 202212 peers
How many distinct US states the school's first-time degree-seeking class is drawn from (IPEDS Residence & Migration, Fall 2022). A higher count signals broader geographic reach and less dependence on any single state's shrinking pool of high school graduates; a low count means the school recruits from a narrow region and is more exposed to that region's demographic decline. Banded against the school's peer group.
Foreign first-time shareShare of first-time students whose legal residence is a foreign country.
0%
67th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0%
Fall 202212 peers
Share of the school's first-time degree-seeking class whose legal residence is outside the United States (IPEDS Residence & Migration, Fall 2022). A measure of international reach in the entering class. Neither high nor low is inherently better; it is context for tuition-revenue mix and exposure to visa and geopolitical risk. Banded against the school's peer group.
Metro-area unemployment rateUnemployment rate in the school's metro area, ACS 2019-23.
Strong
4.6%
29th percentile in peer grouppeer median 6.5%
ACS 2019-2314 peers
The civilian unemployment rate in the school's metropolitan or micropolitan area (US Census ACS 2019-23, mapped by the school's federal CBSA code). It is a proxy for local labor demand: a lower rate means a tighter job market, a stronger near-term destination for graduates and a smaller pool of working adults to recruit. It describes the local economy, not the school. Schools outside any metro area are not scored. Banded against the school's peer group.
Enrollment cliff (home state)Projected change in the institution's home-state high-school graduates from 2025 to 2041 (WICHE). The U.S. total falls about 13%; a directional feeder-market signal, not an enrollment forecast.
Steep decline
-10.9%
2024-25
Projected change in the number of high-school graduates in the institution's HOME STATE from the class of 2025 (the national peak) to 2041, per WICHE's Knocking at the College Door, 11th Edition (Dec 2024). The 'enrollment cliff' is the post-2008 birth decline reaching college age; the U.S. total is projected to fall about 13% over this window. A college recruits from many states, so its home-state projection is an indicative directional signal of feeder-market pressure, not a forecast of that institution's own enrollment.
Workforce Pell exposureShare of this school's measured credentials that are undergraduate certificates, the sub-associate tier the 2025 budget law's new Workforce Pell Grant makes Pell-eligible from July 2026 (short-term programs of 150–600 clock hours over 8–15 weeks). An opportunity signal: higher = more of what the school already produces could draw new federal grant aid. Source: College Scorecard Field-of-Study; an upper-bound proxy since the certificate tier spans varying lengths.
Substantial
12.9%
2024-25
Share of the institution's measured credentials that are undergraduate certificates, the sub-associate tier that the 2025 budget law's new Workforce Pell Grant makes Pell-eligible from July 1, 2026. Workforce Pell extends the Pell Grant to short-term workforce programs of 150 to 600 clock hours offered over 8 to 15 weeks, subject to state-workforce-board and accreditor approval and to job-placement, completion and earnings-value guardrails. This is an opportunity signal: a higher share means more of what the school already produces could draw new federal grant aid, and the upside is greatest where Pell reliance (shown separately) is also high. Computed as undergraduate-certificate completions divided by all credential completions in the College Scorecard Field-of-Study file (most recent release). Scorecard's 'Undergraduate Certificate' level spans certificates of varying length, so the statutory 150-600 clock-hour window is a subset of this tier, read this as an upper-bound exposure proxy, not a count of qualifying programs. Shown only for institutions that confer such certificates above a minimum completions floor.
Scholarly works publishedLifetime indexed scholarly works (OpenAlex).
18
2024 (OpenAlex)
From OpenAlex, an open catalog of the world's scholarly works. Counts the institution's lifetime indexed research works (papers, datasets, books and other outputs). It separates research-intensive universities from teaching-focused peers and signals scholarly capacity; reported only where OpenAlex has a confident match to this school. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
Research citationsLifetime citations to the institution's works (OpenAlex).
299
2024 (OpenAlex)
From OpenAlex, an open catalog of the world's scholarly works. Counts the institution's lifetime indexed citations received by its scholarly works. It separates research-intensive universities from teaching-focused peers and signals scholarly capacity; reported only where OpenAlex has a confident match to this school. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
Institutional h-indexInstitutional h-index (OpenAlex): h works each cited ≥ h times.
6
2024 (OpenAlex)
From OpenAlex. The institution has an h-index of h when h of its works have each been cited at least h times: a single figure blending output and impact. Reported only where OpenAlex has a confident match. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against peers.
Wikipedia pageviews (monthly)Average monthly English-Wikipedia pageviews, trailing 12 months.
248
trailing 12 mo (Wikipedia)
Average monthly views of the institution's English-Wikipedia article over the trailing 12 months (Wikimedia REST API). A top-of-funnel public-attention proxy: how often people look the school up. Reported only where a matching Wikipedia article exists. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
In-state HS graduatesPublic + private high-school graduates in the school's state, class of 2025.
83,021
29th percentile in peer grouppeer median 337,699
Class of 2025 (WICHE)14 peers
The size of the school's home-state high-school graduating class in 2025 (WICHE Knocking at the College Door, public and private combined). It is the near-term in-state feeder market, the complement to the enrollment-cliff projection, which shows the direction that market is heading. Context metric, not better or worse. Banded against the school's peer group.
Enrollment momentum (CAGR)Enrollment momentum (CAGR).
Strong
3.6%
77th percentile in peer grouppeer median -2%
2024-2513 peers
Compound annual growth rate of undergraduate enrollment over the years the tool tracks (College Scorecard, roughly 2016-2024). Positive means the school is growing; negative means it is shrinking, the leading indicator of demand stress ahead of the demographic cliff. Banded against the school's peer group.
Net-price momentum (CAGR)Net-price momentum (CAGR).
Average
2.4%
64th percentile in peer grouppeer median 1.7%
2024-2514 peers
Compound annual growth rate of net tuition revenue per full-time-equivalent student over the tracked years. A high positive rate means the school's real net price is climbing faster than peers, which can strain affordability and yield. Banded against the school's peer group. Lower is better.
Enrollment forecast (5-yr)Projected change in total enrollment about five years out, from the school's own trend.
Strong
12.7%
77th percentile in peer grouppeer median -10%
2024-2029 projection13 peers
Projected cumulative change in total enrollment roughly five years out, modeled by a least-squares log-linear fit on the school's own enrollment history (2016-2024). It uses the full multi-year series, so a single shock year (such as 2020) does not drive the result. This is a naive trend extrapolation, not a demographic model, and is capped at plus or minus 60 percent; treat it as direction-of-travel, not a precise count. Banded against the school's peer group; higher means projected growth.
Completion equity
Six-year graduation rate by group
First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohort · Scorecard 2024-25
White67%
Hispanic/Latino0%
Pell recipients50%
Six-year graduation rate (150% of normal time) for the first-time, full-time bachelor’s cohort, broken out by race and ethnicity and for Pell-grant recipients (College Scorecard). Each bar uses the same measure as the headline graduation rate, so the gaps between groups are directly comparable. School overall: 72%.
Student body
Undergraduate race & ethnicity
IPEDS 2024-25
White50.8%
Black16.9%
Two or more races12.3%
Hispanic/Latino9.2%
Asian9.2%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander1.5%
Undergraduate enrollment by race and ethnicity, as reported to IPEDS (College Scorecard). “International” denotes nonresident students; “Unknown” means race/ethnicity was not reported.
Student Outcomes & Risk
Median debt at graduationMedian federal loan debt graduates carry at the point they complete.
Strong
$13,000
17th percentile in peer grouppeer median $23,666
2024-2512 peers
3-yr cohort default rateShare of borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment. Lower is better.
Strong
0%
21st percentile in peer grouppeer median 6.5%
FY2017 cohort14 peers
Share of borrowers who defaulted within three years of entering repayment (U.S. Dept. of Education official cohort default rate). Shown for the FY2017 borrower cohort, the most recent cohort whose full three-year default window closed before the 2020-23 federal student-loan payment pause. More recent cohorts are reported by the College Scorecard at essentially 0%, but that reflects the payment pause (no payments were due, so almost no one could default), not borrower health, so the pre-pause cohort is the last meaningful reading. Lower is better.
Share taking federal loansShare of students taking out federal loans, a borrowing-reliance signal.
55%
69th percentile in peer grouppeer median 48%
2024-2513 peers
Median debt (first-generation students)Median federal loan debt of students who are the first in their family to attend college. Lower is better.
Strong
$11,459
31st percentile in peer grouppeer median $15,496
2024-2513 peers
Median cumulative federal loan debt carried by first-generation students, those whose parents did not complete college (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). Read it beside the all-students median debt: a gap between the two is an equity signal about who shoulders the borrowing. Lower is better, but weigh it against completion and earnings.
Median debt (Pell recipients)Median federal loan debt of Pell Grant recipients, the lowest-income aided students. Lower is better.
Average
$12,063
42nd percentile in peer grouppeer median $15,427
2024-2512 peers
Median cumulative federal loan debt carried by Pell Grant recipients (College Scorecard, FY2024-25), the lowest-income federally-aided students at the school. Compare it with the all-students median debt and the Pell share: it shows how much the neediest students borrow to attend. Lower is better.
Pell completion gapOverall 6-year graduation rate minus the Pell-recipient graduation rate.
Below peers
+22.4%
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median -0.7%
2024-25
The school's overall six-year graduation rate minus the graduation rate of its Pell Grant recipients (College Scorecard). A larger positive gap means lower-income students complete at a lower rate than the student body overall; a value near zero means the school graduates Pell and non-Pell students at similar rates. Banded against the school's peer group. Smaller is better.
Net-value indexComposite 0-100 of earnings, completion, net price and debt vs peers.
Strong
58.0
69th percentile in peer grouppeer median 52.0
2024-2513 peers
A 0-100 composite of student value relative to the peer group: the average of peer percentile ranks for median earnings ten years out, graduation rate, net price (lower counts as better value) and median debt (lower is better). Built only where at least two components are reported. Higher means more outcome per dollar. Banded against the school's peer group.
Top fields of study (bachelor's)
Seattle Film Institute’s largest fields by completions, with graduate earnings (4 years out) and debt benchmarked against the same field at its peer group. Sparklines show the 8-year completions trend.
| Field | Completions / yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs out | Median debt | Earnings premium | Risk score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual & Performing Arts | 16 | $39,976 86th pct · 7 peers | $12,000 11th pct · 9 peers | Below benchmark -6% | Moderate · 35 |
1 of 1 top fields shown have median graduate earnings below the WA state earnings-premium benchmark, an indicative flag under the 2025 federal earnings-premium test (effective July 1, 2026).
Earnings-premium status is an indicative estimate: median graduate earnings four years out vs the WA state median earnings of a high-school graduate (undergraduate credentials) or a bachelor’s-degree holder (graduate credentials) from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2022 ACS 5-year). The official U.S. Department of Education determination uses its own cohort definition and may differ.
The risk score (0–100) is an indicative blend of earnings-premium margin and the five-year completions trend, higher means a field pays closer to (or below) the benchmark and is shrinking. A directional screen, not an official determination.
Major-level detail (CIP 4-digit)
Visual & Performing Arts – 1 CIP program (4-digit), 1 with earnings
| Major (CIP 4-digit) | Compl./yr | Earn 4yr | Earn 1yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsCIP 5006 › | 16 | $39,976 n=24 | – | 55.8% 1yr | $12,000 | 0.30× | Below benchmark -6% | – |
Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 1 of 1 major shows an earnings figure; the rest read “–”. % > threshold is ED’s own share of graduates out-earning the federal earnings threshold (the do-no-harm pass rate), drawn from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a small chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window, and hovering names the cohort size and source release. 2 of 3 yrs flags fields below the earnings-premium benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years, the statutory trigger under the 2025 test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative; the Department of Education’s official determination may differ. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study (2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts + most-recent snapshot), accessed March 2026.
See the interactive dashboard for all fields and credential levels (associate through doctoral). Source: College Scorecard Field of Study.
Frequently asked
What is Seattle Film Institute's student-faculty ratio?
Seattle Film Institute reports a student-faculty ratio of 8:1 (IPEDS, fall 2023) – that is, about 8 students for every instructional faculty member.
How much does Seattle Film Institute cost?
The average published cost of attendance is $55,496 and the average net price after aid is $41,595 (College Scorecard).
Are Seattle Film Institute's programs at risk under the federal earnings-premium test?
Indicatively, at Seattle Film Institute, the single largest field with available earnings data has median graduate earnings (four years out) below the WA state earnings-premium benchmark used by the 2025 federal test (effective July 1, 2026), under which programs can lose Title IV eligibility if graduate earnings trail those of a typical worker without the credential for 2 of 3 years. This is an estimate using College Scorecard field-of-study earnings vs ACS state/national medians; the Department of Education's official determination uses its own cohort definition and may differ.
Which schools are Seattle Film Institute's peers?
Seattle Film Institute is benchmarked against 14 institutions in the Special Focus: Technology-Related · Private for-profit peer group; all percentiles and medians on this page are computed within that group.
Compare with peers
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Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard & IPEDS (most recent releases), with the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Employment Projections, field-demand outlook) and WICHE (enrollment-cliff projections). Figures lag the current academic year by roughly two to three years. Percentiles and medians are computed within the institution's peer group. Financial Resilience is a transparent composite, see each component above. Compiled by Ibex Insights.