The School of Architecture

Private nonprofitSpecial Focus: Arts, Music & DesignGraduate/Professional

Fin. Resilience

Resilience score

vs. 17 peers in its group

The School of Architecture is a private nonprofit institution in Scottsdale, AZ, classified by Carnegie as “Special Focus: Arts, Music & Design.”

It is benchmarked here against 17 peer institutions (Special Focus: Arts, Music & Design · Private nonprofit).

On Ibex's Financial Resilience score it rates 85 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 net tuition revenue / fte ($50,240, 94th percentile).

Its weakest is avg monthly faculty salary ($4,102).

Ibex's cross-metric scan flags: Endowment fell 88% (2023→2024).

Peer group

Special Focus: Arts, Music & Design · Private nonprofit

17 institutions

Endowment fell 88% (2023→2024)

Policy & demographic exposure

How exposed The School of Architecture 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.

Grad PLUS exposure

28.5%

Moderate exposure

Higher than 63% of schools nationally

AY2025-26 YTD (through Q2, Dec 2025)

Avg Grad PLUS loan

$20,475

Half the cap+

Higher than 54% of schools nationally

AY2025-26 YTD (through Q2, Dec 2025)

Enrollment cliff (home state)

-4.9%

Moderate decline

Indicative 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 $640,426 total revenue · IPEDS FY2022-23

Private gifts & grants is the largest single source at 44% of revenue.

Private gifts & grants44.1%

Tuition & fees40.4%

Auxiliary enterprises7.3%

Government grants & contracts3.9%

Other revenue3.9%

Investment return0.4%

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 school $30,000 obligated · FY2024

NEA alone accounts for 100% of it.

NEA100.0%

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.

Financial Health

Net tuition revenue / FTE

Strong

$50,240

94th percentile in peer grouppeer median $17,839

2024-2517 peers

Instructional spend / FTE

Strong

$38,416

76th percentile in peer grouppeer median $17,178

2024-2517 peers

Endowment (end of year)

Below peers

$221,031

25th percentile in peer grouppeer median $2.4M

FY2022-2312 peers

Value of endowment assets at the end of the fiscal year (IPEDS finance, FY2022-23: FASB F2H02 / GASB F1H02), co-vintage with the other finance-year metrics on this page. Usually filed at the parent campus: most branch and online sub-units show the parent's endowment as a clearly labeled inherited value, and a few report a small endowment of their own alongside it. Multi-year trend from College Scorecard, shown only where it matches the IPEDS filing.

Avg monthly faculty salary

Below peers

$4,102

6th percentile in peer grouppeer median $6,748

2024-2516 peers

Average monthly salary of full-time faculty, as reported to IPEDS.

Tuition discount rate

Moderate

0.8%

35th percentile in peer grouppeer median 12.2%

FY2022-2317 peers

Institutional grant aid as a share of gross tuition & fee revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23, FASB): allowances applied to tuition ÷ (net tuition revenue + those allowances) – the tuition-discount rate enrollment leaders track, i.e. the share of sticker tuition handed back as institutional aid. Private nonprofit institutions only; public (GASB) institutions report tuition differently and are not shown. The national private-college average is roughly 56% (NACUBO); above ~60% signals heavy price competition.

Administrative cost share

58.1%

100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 28%

FY2022-2317 peers

Institutional support, central administration, executive management, governance, general administration, fundraising and (under FASB rules) operation & maintenance of plant, as a share of total expenses (IPEDS FY2022-23, FASB). Private nonprofit institutions only: public (GASB) institutions report functional expenses on a different basis and frequently consolidate large hospital and auxiliary operations, which makes a comparable ratio unreliable, so they are not shown. Because FASB folds plant operations into institutional support, this runs higher than a narrow 'central-office' figure, and schools with sizable hospital or auxiliary operations show a lower ratio as those costs enlarge total expenses. An informational benchmark of administrative intensity, compared within the peer group, not a measure of waste or quality.

Endowment per FTE student

Strong

$36,838

75th percentile in peer grouppeer median $21,862

FY2022-2312 peers

End-of-year endowment ÷ 12-month FTE enrollment, endowment wealth per full-time-equivalent student. The FTE-correct companion to endowment-per-undergraduate; FTE counts graduate and part-time load, so research universities look less wealthy on this basis than on a headcount basis.

Spent on instruction

25.5%

24th percentile in peer grouppeer median 36.5%

2024-2517 peers

Instruction spending divided by total functional expenses (IPEDS Finance, FY2022-23 (FASB)). 'Where the money goes' context, reported here for private-nonprofit (FASB) institutions only, where the functional split is comparable; not computed for public or for-profit institutions. Higher is not automatically better; research universities and those with hospitals or large auxiliaries spread spending across other functions.

Spent on student services

9.2%

53rd percentile in peer grouppeer median 9.2%

2024-2517 peers

Student-services spending (admissions, registrar, student life, counseling) divided by total functional expenses (IPEDS Finance, FY2022-23 (FASB)). Private-nonprofit (FASB) institutions only. Spending-mix context, not a quality measure.

Spent on academic support

0.5%

18th percentile in peer grouppeer median 5.5%

2024-2517 peers

Academic-support spending (libraries, academic computing, deans' offices) divided by total functional expenses (IPEDS Finance, FY2022-23 (FASB)). Private-nonprofit (FASB) institutions only. Context, not a quality measure.

Spent on research

76th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0%

2024-2517 peers

Research spending divided by total functional expenses (IPEDS Finance, FY2022-23 (FASB)). Private-nonprofit (FASB) institutions only; near zero at teaching-focused colleges and sizeable at research universities. Spending-mix context, not a quality measure.

Grad PLUS exposure

Moderate exposure

28.5%

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 loan

Half the cap+

$20,475

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.

Federal funding obligated

Below peers

$30,000

10th percentile in peer grouppeer median $717,523

FY2024 (USAspending.gov)10 peers

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 agencies

90th percentile in peer grouppeer median 1

FY2024 (USAspending.gov)10 peers

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 share

100%

100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 100%

FY2024 (USAspending.gov)10 peers

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.

Enrollment & Pipeline

12-month FTE enrollment

6th percentile in peer grouppeer median 148

2022-2317 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.

Fully online students

29th percentile in peer grouppeer median 30%

2024-2517 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 shift

+6.5%

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) enrollment

17%

76th percentile in peer grouppeer median 1%

Fall 202317 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.

Graduate share of enrollment

100%

100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 95%

Fall 202317 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 faculty

28.6%

29th percentile in peer grouppeer median 42.1%

2023-2417 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 share

71.4%

88th percentile in peer grouppeer median 25%

2023-2417 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 mi

Average

59th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0

2024-2517 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.

Metro-area unemployment rate

Strong

4.7%

31st percentile in peer grouppeer median 5.2%

ACS 2019-2316 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)

Moderate decline

-4.9%

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.

In-state HS graduates

85,639

47th percentile in peer grouppeer median 137,304

Class of 2025 (WICHE)17 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.

Net-price momentum (CAGR)

Strong

-5.9%

6th percentile in peer grouppeer median 1.8%

2024-2517 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.

Student Outcomes & Risk

3-yr cohort default rate

Average

50th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0.2%

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.

Top fields of study (all levels)

The School of Architecture’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
Architecture	3	–	–	–	Moderate · 50

Earnings-premium status is an indicative estimate: median graduate earnings four years out vs the AZ 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)

Architecture – 1 CIP program (4-digit), 0 with earnings

Major (CIP 4-digit)	Compl./yr	Earn 4yr	Earn 1yr	% > threshold	Median debt	Debt/earn	Earnings premium	2 of 3 yrs
ArchitectureCIP 0402 ›	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Major-level earnings, debt and threshold pass-rates are reported by College Scorecard only where enough graduates exist to protect privacy, so 0 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

Which schools are The School of Architecture's peers?

The School of Architecture is benchmarked against 17 institutions in the Special Focus: Arts, Music & Design · Private nonprofit peer group; all percentiles and medians on this page are computed within that group.

Compare with peers

Bank Street College of Education Conway School of Landscape Design Future Generations University High Tech High Graduate School of Education Institute of World Politics International Institute for Restorative Practices

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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.