Paris College of Art

What Paris College of Art does

Paris College of Art (PCA) is a private, for-profit higher education institution founded in 1986 and headquartered at 241 boulevard Pereire in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is an international art and design college with US degree-granting authority and accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). PCA offers undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in Communication Design, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Film Art (jointly with Emerson College), Interior Design, and Photography, preceded by a Foundation Year; graduate MA and MFA programs span Critical Fashion Practices, Design for Social Impact, Drawing, Fashion Film & Photography, Film Art, Interior Design, Photography & Image-making, and Transdisciplinary New Media. The institution also runs one-year Certificate Programs, Study Abroad semesters, two- and four-week Summer Intensives, and an Online Foundation pathway.

The pedagogy is studio-immersed, with approximately 65% of student time spent in studio work and average class sizes under 10 students. Facilities include 3D printers, a darkroom, printmaking studio, digital photography studio, and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, supporting a hands-on, practitioner-led teaching model. Faculty are active exhibiting artists and award-winning designers, and the Paris location gives students direct exposure to industry events such as Fashion Week, Drawing Now, Paris Photo, and Art Paris. PCA maintains academic and industry partnerships with Emerson College, the Terra Foundation for American Art, Université Paris Nanterre, Hereford College of Arts, Maison de SABRÉ, and Studio Martes.

PCA's business model is tuition-driven across five primary revenue streams: degree program tuition (4-year BFA and 1-2 year MA/MFA), Summer Programs, Certificate Programs, and Study Abroad programs. Tuition is not publicly disclosed, though promotional discounts (e.g., a 15% summer tuition discount during a one-week window) indicate active yield management. Student acquisition is sales-led and multi-channel, relying on social media, college fairs, high school visits, educational agencies, organic search, email, and on-campus Open House events, with applications processed through an online portal (apply.paris.edu). PCA has 101-250 employees, no disclosed funding rounds or parent company, and is led by President Linda Jarvin.

Name

Paris College of Art

Legal name

Paris College of Art

Website

https://www.paris.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Paris College of Art is a private unique American Art + Design University, offering Bachelor's & Master's Degrees, & Certificate, etc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Fine Arts Colleges (Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking) (EDAHAJAA), Faculty-Led & Custom Group Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAA), Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Art and design education
• Higher education programs
• BFA degree programs
• Graduate art programs
• Study abroad programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Degree Program Tuition: Revenue generated from tuition fees for undergraduate (BFA) and graduate (MA/MFA) degree programs lasting 4 years and 1-2 years respectively.
2. Summer Programs: Revenue from summer intensive courses offered to high school students and others seeking creative education in Paris.
3. Certificate Programs: One-year intensive non-degree certificate programs for mature students seeking career transitions or portfolio development.
4. Study Abroad Programs: Semester or year-long study abroad programs for college sophomores, juniors, or those with undergraduate degrees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Paris College of Art delivers US-accredited undergraduate (BFA), graduate (MA/MFA), certificate, study abroad, and summer intensive programs in art and design disciplines including Communication Design, Fashion Design, Photography, Interior Design, Film Art, Fine Arts, Critical Fashion Practices, Design for Social Impact, Transdisciplinary New Media, Drawing, and Fashion Film & Photography. Programs are primarily delivered in person at the Paris campus with an online Foundation Year option, emphasizing studio-immersed learning (approximately 65% studio time) and small class sizes averaging under 10 students.

Product overview

Paris College of Art is an educational institution offering a portfolio of degree programs including undergraduate BFAs (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Communication Design, Fashion Design, Photography, Interior Design, Film Art (including a joint Global BFA with Emerson College), and Fine Arts; graduate MA/MFA programs in Critical Fashion Practices, Design for Social Impact, Transdisciplinary New Media, Photography & Image-making, Fashion Film & Photography, Interior Design, Drawing, and Film Art; plus Certificate Programs, Summer Programs, Study Abroad options, and an Online Foundation pathway. The institution is accredited by NASAD and operates under US degree-granting authority, providing multidisciplinary art and design education in Paris.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fashion Design BFA Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in fashion design, preparing students for careers in the fashion industry.
• Photography BFA Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in photography, covering both analog and digital photographic practices.
• Interior Design BFA Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in interior design focusing on spatial design and interior environments.
• Film Art BFA Global BFA in Film Art, a joint degree program with Emerson College, completed in three years where students earn degrees from both institutions.
• Fine Arts BFA Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in fine arts providing comprehensive studio-based education.
• Critical Fashion Practices MA Master of Arts degree program exploring fashion as a tool for activism, identity, and societal change.
• Foundation in Art, Design, & Photography The first year of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program that enables students to discover core strengths in Art, Design and Photography and prepares them for majors in Communication Design, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Interior Design, and Photography.
• Communication Design BFA Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program focusing on graphic design, visual communication, and design thinking.
• Design for Social Impact MA Master of Arts degree program focused on design solutions for social and environmental challenges.
• Transdisciplinary New Media MA/MFA Master of Art/Fine Arts degree program at the intersection of technology and contemporary art, covering 3D modeling, digital fabrication, creative coding, physical computing, AI, AR/VR, and multimedia storytelling.
• Photography & Image-making MA/MFA Master of Art/Fine Arts degree program in photography and contemporary image-making practices.
• Fashion Film & Photography MA One-year Master of Arts program for emerging image-makers shaping the future of fashion through still and moving image, storytelling, and visual identity.
• Interior Design MA Master of Arts degree program in interior design at the graduate level.
• Drawing MA/MFA Master of Art/Fine Arts degree program focused on drawing as a contemporary practice, offered as a one-year MA or extended two-year MFA.
• Film Art MFA Master of Fine Arts degree program in film art at the graduate level.
• Certificate Programs One-year intensive certificate programs in Communication Design, Fine Arts, Interior Design, and Photography for mature students seeking career transition, portfolio development, or MFA preparation.
• Summer Programs Two and four-week intensive summer courses for high school students and introductory through advanced level students exploring art, design, business, culture, and language in Paris.
• Study Abroad at PCA Program for college sophomores and juniors, or those with undergraduate degrees, to spend a semester or year experiencing art, design, and culture in Paris.
• Online Foundation Online version of the Foundation year program allowing students to complete the first year of their BFA remotely.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Maison de SABRÉminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2024Fashion design collaboration where PCA students reimagined the Palais Bag, launched at Le Bon Marché department store.
• Emerson CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint degree program for Global BFA in Film Art, a three-year intensive program where students earn degrees from both institutions. Applications are submitted through Emerson College's system.
• Hereford College of Arts (HCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership including student exchange, joint exhibitions such as 'Juxtaposition, a Fusion of International Voices,' and collaborative projects inspired by the Warhol-Basquiat partnership.
• Terra Foundation for American ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerra Foundation Research Program giving students opportunity for academic research experience in American art and transatlantic artistic relations using the foundation's library collection, culminating in presentations at the Terra Foundation Center in Paris.
• Université Paris NanterreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration through the Terra Research Program where students present findings to art history students and participate in workshops and studio visits.
• Studio MartesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFashion workshop collaboration providing students with industry exposure and practical fashion design experience.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Istituto Marangoni: Italian private fashion and design school with a Paris campus offering undergraduate and graduate programs in fashion, design, and art. Directly competes with PCA for international, tuition-paying students seeking European creative education in Paris with private-institution service levels.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): Private, for-profit US art and design university offering BFA, MA, and MFA degrees across design, fine arts, fashion, photography, and film — closely mirroring PCA's multi-disciplinary, tuition-driven, private-accredited model at a much larger scale.
• School of Visual Arts (SVA): Private for-profit art and design college in New York offering BFA-equivalent and graduate programs in design, photography, film, and fine arts. Comparable private-accredited, multi-discipline, tuition-funded model serving similar prospective student segments.
• LISAA School of Design: French private design school offering bachelor's and master's programs in fashion, interior design, graphic design, and animation — closely overlapping PCA's Paris-based private, multi-discipline, tuition-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• Parsons School of Design (The New School): One of the most established US-accredited design schools, offering BFA, MFA, and associate programs across fashion, communication design, interior design, photography, and fine arts. Significantly larger and more globally recognized than PCA, but operates in many of the same disciplines and competes for the same international student pool.
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): Premier US private art and design college offering BFA and graduate programs in fine arts, design, photography, and architecture. A benchmark competitor for high-aptitude international applicants considering US-accredited creative education.
• Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London): Globally renowned UK public art college offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs in fashion, fine art, graphic design, and product design. Competes with PCA for international students seeking a European creative education with strong industry outcomes.
• Royal College of Art: UK public postgraduate-only art and design institution with strong global brand in design, fashion, and fine arts. Competes with PCA for graduate-level international applicants and faculty prestige.

Regional players

• École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (EnsAD): Public French art and design school in Paris offering programs in design, fashion, photography, and fine arts. Competes with PCA in the same Paris market for French and international applicants, though as a public institution it has a different cost structure and admissions process.
• École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts (Ensba Paris): Premier public French fine arts school in Paris offering programs in painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and contemporary practices. Overlaps with PCA's Fine Arts and Photography programs in the same Paris market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paris_edu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfYH-6CXZXx_ZA2J0_qc17Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/paris.edu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/edu/school?id=373076&trk=edu-cp-title
• Instagraminstagram.com/pariscollegeofart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Paris College of Art