Cornish College of the Arts

What Cornish College of the Arts does

Cornish College of the Arts is a private nonprofit undergraduate arts college headquartered in Seattle, Washington, operating as an integral college within Seattle University following a structural affiliation. Founded in 1914 by Nellie Cornish, the institution delivers twelve Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) programs spanning visual arts, performing arts, design, and media — including Animation, Art, Dance, Design, Film, Illustration, Interaction (UX) Design, Game Art, Music, Musical Theater, Performance Production, and Acting and Original Works. The college operates across three Seattle campuses (South Lake Union, First Hill, and Capitol Hill) embedded within the city's theater, museum, and creative-agency ecosystem, and maintains 101–250 employees.

The institution's technology stack is conventional for higher education: Jenzabar's Compass student information system for course registration, financial aid, billing, and academic records; Canvas (Seattle University's instance) as the LMS; Microsoft Azure/Office 365 for administrative operations; and Omnilert for emergency notifications. No proprietary technology, AI/ML, or external-facing APIs are disclosed. Cornish produces dozens of public performances and exhibitions annually as both an instructional output and a marketing channel.

The business model is tuition-driven, supplemented by philanthropic contributions, endowment income, and continuing-education revenue. Primary customers are prospective undergraduate arts students admitted via auditions and portfolio reviews; secondary segments include adult learners and pre-college students served through the Cornish+ division (Summer@Cornish, Continuing Education, Pre-College Courses) and alumni. Distribution relies on rolling admissions, national unified auditions in NYC, Chicago, and Los Angeles, campus visits, and public productions. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Cornish College of the Arts

Legal name

Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University

Website

https://cornish.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cornish College of the Arts is a private nonprofit BFA-granting arts college in Seattle, operating within Seattle University. It serves undergraduate students across twelve visual and performing arts disciplines and offers continuing education through its Cornish+ division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Higher Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE), Arts & Culture Appreciation (Art History, Film Appreciation, Music Appreciation) (EDAAAGAO)

Keywords

• Arts higher education
• Performing arts programs
• Visual arts education
• Design education programs
• Continuing arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from student tuition and fees for undergraduate arts education programs. School code: 003790 for federal financial aid processing.
2. Financial Aid Administration: Manages federal Stafford loans, Parent PLUS loans, Pell Grants, institutional scholarships, and housing grants. Over 300 scholarships on file with financial aid office.
3. Continuing Education (Cornish+): Revenue from Summer@Cornish programs, pre-college courses, continuing education, and facility rentals to community.
4. Donations and Endowments: Philanthropic contributions including the Syvilla Fort Scholarship Fund and donor-endowed grants that support gift aid to students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cornish College of the Arts is a private nonprofit arts college delivering Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in twelve disciplines — Animation, Art, Dance, Design, Film, Game Art, Illustration, Interaction (UX) Design, Music, Musical Theater, Performance Production, and Acting & Original Works. Beyond undergraduate degrees, the college runs continuing-education and pre-college programs under the Cornish+ umbrella, hosts public performances and exhibitions, and administers the Neddy Artist Award community program in partnership with the Behnke Foundation.

Product overview

Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University offers a comprehensive arts education through 12 BFA programs across visual arts, performing arts, design, and media disciplines. The institution operates as a unified college with academic programs including Animation, Art, Dance, Design, Film, Illustration, Interaction (UX) Design, Game Art, Music, Musical Theater, Performance Production, and Acting and Original Works. Beyond degree programs, Cornish extends its educational mission through Cornish+ (Summer@Cornish, Continuing Education, and Pre-College Courses), the Neddy Artist Award community program, and the Compass student portal for academic management. The college produces numerous public theater productions and events annually, showcasing student work to the Seattle community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cornish+: A division offering summer programs, continuing education, pre-college courses, and facility rentals.

Products and services

• Animation BFA Program

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Behnke FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Behnke Foundation established the Neddy Artist Awards program in 1996, administered by Cornish College. The program supports artists in Washington with increased funding and expanded opportunities announced for 2026. Cornish hosts the application process and administers awards to regional artists, strengthening connection between higher education and the regional arts ecosystem.
• AICAD (Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornish participates in AICAD mobility program allowing student exchanges with other AICAD member institutions. Collaborative programs result in dual enrollment at both schools with education records shared between institutions.
• New York Studio Residency ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative program between Cornish and New York Studio Residency allowing students to study in New York with dual enrollment, with education records disclosed between institutions.
• Independent Colleges of Washington (ICW)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership providing scholarship opportunities for Cornish students. Eligible for E.K. & Lillian F. Bishop Foundation Scholarship, David M. Irwin Friend of Higher Education Award, and Stanley O. McNaughton Community Service Award. Application deadline April 17, 2026.
• JenzabarcoreTechnology or IntegrationJenzabar provides the Compass student information system portal used by Cornish for course registration, financial aid, student accounts, housing, and academic records. Jenzabar serves higher education institutions across the US.
• Seattle UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornish College of the Arts is part of Seattle University, operating as an integral component of the university's campus in South Lake Union. Shared administrative services including HR, IT, financial aid, and facilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pratt Institute: Pratt is a private nonprofit college offering BFA degrees across art, design, architecture, and performing arts — comparable in scale, structure, and program breadth to Cornish.
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): RISD is a leading four-year private nonprofit college of art and design offering BFA programs across visual and applied arts — the most direct comparable to Cornish in mission, credential, and target student.
• Academy of Art University: Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution offering art and design degrees including animation, game design, and performing arts — comparable in program breadth and online/continuing education offerings to Cornish.
• Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA): MICA is a private nonprofit college of art and design offering BFA programs across visual and applied arts — a closely comparable peer in mission, credentialing, and target student.
• Berklee College of Music: Berklee is a private nonprofit college focused on contemporary music and performing arts — directly comparable to Cornish's Music and Musical Theater programs with similar audition-based admissions.
• Otis College of Art and Design: Otis is a private nonprofit college offering BFA degrees in fine arts, design, and digital media — a comparable arts-focused institution with overlapping program areas including digital arts and design.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): SCAD is a private nonprofit arts college with BFA programs spanning visual arts, performing arts, design, and digital media — directly comparable in program portfolio, including animation, game art, and film.
• California Institute of the Arts (CalArts): CalArts offers BFA degrees in visual and performing arts including animation, film, music, theater, and dance — directly paralleling Cornish's interdisciplinary arts college model with strong film and animation programs.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC): SAIC is a private nonprofit college of arts offering BFAs in studio arts, design, and performance — a closely comparable arts-focused institution with similar credential structure and audience to Cornish.

Broad incumbents

• Juilliard School: Juilliard is a larger, more established performing arts conservatory offering degrees in dance, drama, and music — overlapping with Cornish's performing arts programs but operating at significantly higher scale and prestige.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cornishcollege
• YouTubevimeo.com/cornishcollegeofthearts
• Facebookfacebook.com/CornishCollegeOfTheArts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornishcollegeofthearts

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornish College of the Arts