Savannah College of Art and Design

What Savannah College of Art and Design does

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private, nonprofit art and design university founded in 1978 and headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, with additional locations in Midtown Atlanta, Lacoste (France), and a global online platform (SCADnow) plus a Hong Kong residential presence. The institution delivers more than 100 degree programs across 11 academic schools — spanning animation, fashion, film, fine arts, design, business, and creative technology — to 18,500+ students drawn from all 50 U.S. states and 100+ countries. Recurring tuition, supplemented by housing, dining, and application/portfolio fees, constitutes the core revenue model.

SCAD's core technology and product surface includes the SCADnow online learning platform (operating since 2003, the first art and design university to win the Instructional Technology Council's Outstanding Distance Education Program award), the SCADask AI Advantage Portal integrating Claude, ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Adobe Firefly, and on-campus virtual production infrastructure including LED volumes at Savannah Film Studios. Around this academic core, SCAD operates an ecosystem of branded initiatives: SCADpro, a boutique consultancy that has delivered 800+ brand collaborations with NASA, Google, L'Oréal, Samsung, Nike, Deloitte, HP, and The Home Depot, yielding 300+ job offers; SCAD LUXE, a luxury archive and research center drawing from Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, and Scalamandré; and SCADamp, SCADextra, SCAD SERVE, SCAD Rising Star, and SCAD Summer Seminars as auxiliary academic and community programs.

Revenue is diversified across tuition (98% of students receive scholarships/financial aid), on-campus housing and dining, philanthropic giving (including a $10M, 10-year partnership with Jewelers Mutual Group announced February 2026 — the largest program-specific contribution to date), SCADpro professional services, and corporate/educational partnerships such as the 2026 ISDI Mumbai and Bennett University India pathways. The go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer via self-serve rolling admissions, virtual and in-person campus tours, signature events (Savannah Film Festival, TVfest, AnimationFest, deFINE ART), and a growing channel of international pathway partners funneling pre-qualified cohorts into the Atlanta campus.

Name

Savannah College of Art and Design

Legal name

Savannah College of Art and Design

Website

https://scad.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Private, nonprofit art and design university founded in 1978, headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, with locations in Atlanta, Lacoste (France), and online via SCADnow. Serves 18,500+ students from 100+ countries through 100+ degree programs across 11 schools, with marquee SCADpro brand collaborations and luxury/archive research assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Art and Design)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities (EDAHABAG)

Keywords

• Art and design education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Online creative learning
• Higher education institution
• Creative career preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and required fees: Primary revenue stream from undergraduate and graduate enrollment at four locations (Savannah, Atlanta, Lacoste, SCADnow online) on a quarter-system academic calendar; tuition varies by program level and location. 98% of students receive scholarships and financial aid.
2. Application and portfolio submission fees: Nonrefundable US$100 undergraduate/graduate application fee plus US$10 portfolio submission fee via SlideRoom; these per-application transactional fees support the admissions review process.
3. On-campus housing and residence life fees: Recurring residential fees from residence halls (Sand at Victory Village, FORTY Atlanta, ACA, Spring House, Montgomery House, Turner House, etc.) and SCADhome housing application process across Atlanta and Savannah locations.
4. Dining and meal plan revenue: Recurring meal plan fees operated by Bon Appétit at The Hive Savannah and Atlanta dining locations, plus mobile ordering via the SCAD app.
5. Philanthropic giving and industry sponsorship: Gifts, donations, and large corporate/institutional contributions (e.g., Jewelers Mutual $10M, 10-year partnership) supporting scholarships, named facilities, programs, and curriculum enhancement.
6. SCADpro consulting services: Boutique creative consultancy engagements where SCAD student/faculty teams solve real-world challenges for global brands; produces 800+ collaborations and 300+ job offers, with associated project revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SCAD is a private, nonprofit university delivering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across 11 academic schools in art, design, film, fashion, animation, business, and creative technology. It operates physical campuses in Savannah (GA), Atlanta (GA), and Lacoste (France), along with the SCADnow online learning platform serving students from 100+ countries, supplemented by ancillary programs such as SCADpro creative consultancy, SCAD LUXE luxury archive, pre-college programs, and AI Advantage Portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of recent SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 12 months of graduation (2025 study)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• FIFA World Cup 26 Atlanta Host CommitteeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Extensive partnership to develop wayfinding campaigns, art installations, and social media strategy for the FIFA World Cup 26 matches in Atlanta. More than 200 SCAD students and alumni contributed to initiatives including The Last Mile wayfinding campaign, interactive murals, and social media management. Atlanta hosted eight FIFA World Cup 26 matches, including a semifinal on July 15.
• Metro Atlanta ChambercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 June 2026Joint partnership with FIFA World Cup 26 Atlanta Host Committee and City of Atlanta. SCAD students and alumni provided social media management for the Metro Atlanta Chamber across multiple platforms during the tournament.
• City of AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Joint partnership with FIFA World Cup 26 Atlanta Host Committee and Metro Atlanta Chamber to develop wayfinding campaigns, art installations, and social media strategy for FIFA World Cup 26 matches in Atlanta.
• NVIDIAcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 June 2026NVIDIA-powered 48-hour AI Summit Jam at SCAD in which 18 student teams built projects using OpenUSD, NVIDIA Omniverse, Blender, Unreal Engine 5, Luma AI, Meshy, and Figma. Winning team Project R.E.M. created a memory-capture system integrating tools across the AI/digital-twin stack.
• ISDI (School of Design & Innovation, ATLAS SkillTech University, Mumbai)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Global experiential design pathway: Indian students complete the first two years of Bachelor of Design at ISDI Mumbai, spend the third year at SCAD's Atlanta campus earning 15 international academic credits and participating in SCADpro innovation projects with global brands (Google, Apple, BMW, Chanel), then return to ISDI to complete their degree.
• Bennett University (India)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Memorandum of Understanding for strategic academic collaboration in design education including academic exchanges, joint design projects, curriculum enrichment, and international workshops aimed at building globally relevant creative skills for Indian design students.
• Laura AshleyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 March 2026International collaboration as part of Laura Ashley's centenary year. SCAD students are tasked with reimagining the Laura Ashley brand for 2026 and beyond, complementing a sister student design competition at Swansea College of Art.
• Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Scalamandré (SCAD LUXE inaugural exhibitors)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Heritage luxury houses contributed rare and iconic objects to SCAD LUXE's inaugural 'The Art of Luxury: Iconic Craftsmanship' exhibition on Atlanta and Savannah campuses. Scalamandré's archives made their first-ever educational appearance at SCAD Savannah; rotating exhibitions are planned throughout the academic year.
• AXA XLminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 November 2025Sponsor of the annual AXA Art Prize US recognizing emerging figurative artists from American institutions. 2025 edition received over 600 submissions with monetary prizes and exhibition at the New York Academy of Art.
• NASAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured SCADpro partner; SCAD students and faculty collaborated with NASA's ICESat-2 project scientist (Thorsten Markus) to deliver creative storytelling around the ICESat-2 mission. Logo appears in SCADpro branding.
• GoogleflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured SCADpro partner brand; SCAD students collaborate with Google on real-world creative challenges via the SCADpro boutique consultancy. Logo appears in SCADpro partner branding.
• NASA, Google, L'Oréal, Samsung (faculty employer logos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as employers of SCAD faculty in the 'Learn from IN-DEMAND faculty' section, alongside Activision Blizzard, Cartoon Network, DC Comics, Disney, Electronic Arts, IBM, Interscope, Netflix, Oculus, Perkins & Will, Rolling Stone, Sony, The Guardian, The Met, The New York Times, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, and Wizards of the Coast.
• Deloitte, HP, Nike, The Home Depot (SCADpro partner logos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured SCADpro partner brands; SCAD students and faculty collaborate with these global brands on real-world creative challenges through SCADpro.
• 3M, Cartier, Hermès, Walt Disney Imagineering (mentors / VIP guests)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as VIP guests and mentors leading workshops, portfolio reviews, and master classes for SCAD students, in addition to being referenced SCADpro industry powerhouses.
• Bon Appétit Management CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperates SCAD dining facilities in Atlanta and Savannah as a leader in sustainable food service, providing fresh, locally sourced food prepared daily under farm-to-table menus.
• College BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors SCAD's Advanced Placement Institute, a summer program to certify teachers for Advanced Placement art and design, art history, and computer science principles.
• JostensminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed provider of SCAD class rings, announcements, caps, gowns, stoles, and graduation accessories through the official SCAD Jostens storefront.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): RISD is the closest U.S. peer to SCAD — a private, nonprofit art and design college offering undergraduate and graduate programs across fine arts, architecture, design, and media, with similarly strong brand recognition, museum/collection assets, and employer recruiting pipelines. SCAD's #1 Red Dot rankings position it head-to-head with RISD for top creative-student market share.
• ArtCenter College of Design: ArtCenter is a private, nonprofit college focused on industrial design, transportation design, graphic design, and entertainment design, with deep ties to automotive, consumer products, and entertainment brands — directly comparable to SCAD's industrial design, entertainment arts, and SCADpro consulting partnerships. Both compete for design-driven, industry-track students.
• California Institute of the Arts (CalArts): CalArts is a private, nonprofit art, film, and performing arts school with renowned programs in animation, film, and character animation — directly comparable to SCAD's animation and film programs. Both schools train top creative talent for the entertainment industry and compete for animation and film students nationally and internationally.
• Otis College of Art and Design: Otis is a private, nonprofit art and design college offering BFA and MFA programs in fashion, digital media, product design, and fine arts — overlapping with multiple SCAD schools and serving a similar urban creative-student market. Otis's Toy Design and Digital Media programs are direct competitors to SCAD's entertainment and design programs.
• Columbia College Chicago: Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit arts and communications college with programs in film, design, fashion, and creative media — overlapping with SCAD's film, fashion, design, and creative-tech programs. Both schools compete for creative students in major U.S. cities with similar tuition and scholarship structures.
• Pratt Institute: Pratt is a private, nonprofit art, design, and architecture school in New York with comparable program breadth (fine arts, design, architecture, fashion, film) and strong employer partnerships. SCAD competes directly with Pratt for design, architecture, and creative-tech students, particularly in the Northeast U.S. and international markets.
• Parsons School of Design (The New School): Parsons is a leading private art and design school offering BFA, MFA, and AAS degrees with deep industry ties to fashion and design brands (L'Oréal, LVMH, etc.) — overlapping with SCAD's fashion, design, and SCADpro/SCAD LUXE brand collaborations. Both compete for the same pool of fashion, design, and fine arts students globally.
• Ringling College of Art and Design: Ringling is a private, nonprofit art and design college with strong programs in film, animation, game design, and computer animation — overlapping directly with SCAD's animation, VFX, film, and game design programs. Both schools rank highly in The Hollywood Reporter and Rookies entertainment-industry rankings and recruit from overlapping student populations.
• Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts): VCUarts is a public university art and design school with nationally ranked programs in design, fine arts, and theater that competes with SCAD for top creative students at a different price point. VCUarts is consistently ranked alongside SCAD in Animation Career Review and Princeton Review creative-program rankings.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC): SAIC is a private, nonprofit art and design school offering BFA, MFA, and post-baccalaureate programs across studio art, design, and creative research, with strong museum/gallery infrastructure (Art Institute of Chicago partnership). SCAD and SAIC are both consistently ranked among the top U.S. art schools and compete for similar fine arts and design students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/scadissoatl
• Instagraminstagram.com/scaddotedu
• Xx.com/scaddotedu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/savannah-college-of-art-and-design

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Savannah College of Art and Design