Columbus College of Art and Design

What Columbus College of Art and Design does

Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) is an independent, nonprofit, accredited art and design college founded in 1879 and headquartered at 60 Cleveland Ave in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The institution delivers nine Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) programs — Animation, Comics & Narrative Practice, Fashion Design, Film & Video, Fine Arts, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, and Interior Architecture & Design — plus a fully online Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in UX Design targeting working professionals. CCAD maintains a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio with 100% of faculty being practicing artists or designers, and integrates 190+ real-world industry projects annually with employers including Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret, American Greetings, P&G, JPMorgan Chase, Apple, Pixar, Marvel, Disney, and Christie's.

CCAD's technology stack centers on the My CCAD student engagement portal powered by Pathify (launched October 2025), a mobile-friendly platform for centralized student-staff communication and resource access. The college integrates with Common App for undergraduate admissions and Parchment, ECE, WES, and One Earth for transcript handling, including international applicants. Non-degree offerings include Saturday Art Classes, Evening Art Classes, Creative Summer Workshops, and the College Preview two-week residential pre-college summer program for high schoolers.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees from BFA and MPS degree programs (subscribed annually, with MPS at $10,440/year plus a $300 non-refundable deposit), supplemented by community education program fees (College Preview at $3,000-$3,600 plus a $250 registration fee) and a $50 undergraduate application fee. The college operates on a recruitment-driven, sales-led go-to-market model with five regionally-assigned admissions counselors, supported by a direct-to-consumer motion for community classes. All admitted undergraduates receive an institutional scholarship, and the institution is governed as a 501(c)-style nonprofit without parent-company or PE ownership.

Name

Columbus College of Art and Design

Legal name

Columbus College of Art and Design

Website

https://ccad.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1879

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Columbus College of Art and Design is an independent, nonprofit, accredited art and design college in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1879. It offers nine BFA programs, an online Master of Professional Studies in UX Design, pre-college summer programs, and community art classes for youth and adults.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Art and Design)

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAJAA

Fine Arts Colleges (Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAJAB

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

Keywords

• Art and design education
• Undergraduate fine arts programs
• Graduate UX design programs
• Pre-college art programs
• Community art classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Degree Program Tuition and Fees: Tuition and fees from undergraduate (BFA) and graduate (MPS in UX Design) degree programs constitute the primary revenue stream for this nonprofit, accredited art and design college.
2. Community and Youth Education Programs: Revenue from non-degree community education programs including Saturday Art Classes, Evening Art Classes, Creative Summer Workshops, and the College Preview pre-college residential summer program for high school students. Need-based scholarships are available.
3. Financial Aid and Scholarships: All admitted undergraduate students receive an institutional scholarship. The college also offers need-based scholarships for youth community programs and aid packages combining grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) is an independent, nonprofit, accredited art and design college that offers nine Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) undergraduate degree programs and a fully online Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in UX Design. It also delivers non-degree offerings including Saturday Art Classes, Evening Art Classes, Creative Summer Workshops, Art Educator Professional Development, and the College Preview pre-college residential summer program, plus the My CCAD student engagement portal powered by Pathify.

Product overview

Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) is an independent, nonprofit, accredited art and design college offering a portfolio of educational products and services. The core offering consists of nine Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) undergraduate degree programs (Animation, Comics & Narrative Practice, Fashion Design, Film & Video, Fine Arts, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, and Interior Architecture & Design) and one graduate program (Master of Professional Studies in UX Design, delivered online). CCAD also operates My CCAD, a student engagement portal powered by Pathify. Beyond degree programs, CCAD provides non-degree educational products including Saturday Art Classes, Creative Summer Workshops, Evening Art Classes, Art Educator Professional Development, and the College Preview pre-college residential program. The institution serves youth, teens, adult learners, and professional artists through its comprehensive creative education ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate BFA Programs
• Master of Professional Studies in UX Design
• College Preview
• Saturday Art Classes
• Evening Art Classes
• Creative Summer Workshops
• Art Educator Professional Development
• My CCAD Student Engagement Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• All admitted undergraduate students receive an institutional scholarship, reducing financial barriers to art education.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers33 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PathifycoreTechnology or Integration · 14 October 2025Pathify provides the technology platform powering CCAD's My CCAD student engagement portal. The platform offers a centralized, mobile-friendly digital experience that improves communication and resource access for students and staff across the institution.
• Dress for SuccessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAD's Fashion Design students partnered with the nonprofit Dress for Success in a classroom project to create professional attire for the nonprofit's clients, providing real-world design experience while supporting the community.
• Columbus HumaneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAD Illustration students partnered with Columbus Humane to create artwork for the nonprofit's care center, providing students with real client experience while supporting animal welfare organizations in the community.
• Mid-Atlantic Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact / USDA Forest ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAD Game Art & Design students created 'Smokey's Scouts,' a free mobile game for the Mid-Atlantic Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact and USDA Forest Service, demonstrating the college's commitment to real-world, socially impactful student projects.
• Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University houses the world's largest comic book collection and is located in Columbus. CCAD's Comics & Narrative Practice program leverages this proximity to the comics world, including hosting the annual Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) convention.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rhode Island School of Design: RISD is a private nonprofit art and design college in Providence, RI, offering BFA and graduate programs in fine arts, design, and architecture. It is the closest analog to CCAD in mission, scale, and program mix, and competes for similar undergraduate applicants.
• Savannah College of Art and Design: SCAD is a private nonprofit art and design university offering BFA, MFA, and graduate programs across fine arts, design, animation, fashion, and film. It is larger and multi-location but competes directly with CCAD for design and animation talent.
• Pratt Institute: Pratt is a private art, design, and architecture school in Brooklyn, NY, with BFA and graduate programs in illustration, graphic design, fashion, and industrial design. It competes with CCAD for East Coast art and design applicants.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago: SAIC is a private nonprofit art and design school in Chicago offering BFA and graduate programs in fine arts, design, film, and animation. It competes with CCAD for Midwestern art and design students.
• Parsons School of Design: Parsons, part of The New School, is a private art and design school in New York City offering BFA and graduate programs in fashion, graphic design, interior design, and product design. It competes for design-focused applicants that CCAD also targets.
• Maryland Institute College of Art: MICA is a private nonprofit art and design college in Baltimore offering BFA and graduate programs in fine arts, graphic design, illustration, and animation. It is similar in size and program mix to CCAD and competes for similar student profiles.
• Ringling College of Art and Design: Ringling is a private nonprofit art and design college in Sarasota, FL, with notable programs in computer animation, film, game art, and graphic design. It is close in size to CCAD and competes for animation and entertainment design talent.
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design: MassArt is a public art and design college in Boston offering BFA and graduate programs in fine arts, design, animation, and illustration. Despite its public status, it competes with CCAD for New England art and design students.
• Otis College of Art and Design: Otis is a private nonprofit art and design college in Los Angeles offering BFA and graduate programs in graphic design, illustration, fashion, and digital media. It is similar in scale to CCAD and competes for West Coast creative talent.
• ArtCenter College of Design: ArtCenter is a private nonprofit art and design college in Pasadena, CA, with strengths in industrial design, transportation design, graphic design, and entertainment design. It is comparable to CCAD in program focus and competes for design-driven applicants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CCADedu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/CCADedu
• Facebookfacebook.com/36082247066
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/columbus-college-of-art-&-design
• Instagraminstagram.com/CCADedu
• TikToktiktok.com/@ccadedu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Columbus College of Art and Design