The Art Institute of Atlanta

I graduated here in the 1980’s with a «degree» in graphic design. It was an «okay» school at that time, but the majority of what I learned then is now obsolete. I hear it is not even as good a school now as it was then.
The financial aid department never had their act together at that time and I hear nothing has changed.
It was expensive back then, but holy-​moly, the price of tuition now is RIDICULOUS! Save your money! Graphic design and web design are now taught at a number of vocational schools in Ga. Supplement that with some online software training and you will be just as knowledgeable as anyone who graduates from AIA.
They do a LOUSY job of helping graduates find a job.

A lot of Gang members and thugs attend this school too. Most of the staff are unprofessional and degenerates too

You deserve better. They require a portfolio to get in, but if you can draw a stick cat you are probably good. They are a business first, Art School last. When i graduated they helped me get a part-​time 2 week assignment and then said i was ‘employed’ so I wouldn’t believe those employment figures. The teacher who taught one of my Photoshop classes actually was an English teacher who read a Photoshop book a week before, i’m not kidding. We have some schools out there that are better staffed, more affordable and maybe more ethical.

We made a brief email inquiry about available cooking classes for my son for the summer, and it appears they don’t offer this, but we have since been flooded with phone calls. These folks don’t want to take «not interested» for an answer — at least half a dozen calls and each time I tell them thanks but no. How desperate are these people??? What do I have to do to get them to leave us alone???

For the amount of money i have spent (i shudder to think of all the kids in debt for attending this school), it leaves a lot to be desired. the school web portal and is constantly in a state of dysfunction, the website is basically just for looks, almost none of the information on the website is helpful or practical for students. When i tried to contact (many many times) school staff to register for classes, i never get an answer, and when i leave a message, i almost never get a response. The computers and printing resources in the school cannot be counted on.
Again for the amount of money they ask for in tuition, the quality of the facilities and student services is low.
i will say that the teaching staff in the culinary dept and general education is wonderful and very professional, but the school as a whole is clearly in a state of dysfunction. i ultimately regret not looking at other schools before settling on the art institute. I am not satisfied with my experience at this school, i wish i had chosen another one.

I graduated here in summer 2014 with an animation degree, and attending this school was one of the worst, most expensive decisions of my life. There is nothing about this school that justifies the insane price. In fact, the degree has actually been a blemish on my record, something I have had to explain to employers rather than be proud of. The industry here in Atlanta views this degree mill as a complete joke, and having a degree from this institution can actually prevent employment. Add to that the abysmal teaching quality, admission standards, and post graduation employment assistance and you have one of the most comically horrible college experiences available.
If you or anyone you know is thinking of attending this school, turn back. It’s an open scam, and can be replicated with a digital tutors account and a trip to the dmv.

Very nice school. Everyone was very friendly and nice.

So I’m updating my previous review, based on the experiences I’ve had since I graduated in March. I think it’s important to note that I was not helped in finding a job. Or, rather, there was VERY minimal help in that department. It was… disappointing, to say the least. The Art Institute may boast that they get 98% of graduates jobs 6 months after they graduate, but that is a blatant falsehood. At least as far as I have experienced. My graduating class was small, because Advertising is not the biggest draw. It was about 5 – 6 people. Out of these 5 – 6 people, half got jobs on their own, without the help of the University, and the other half are either currently unemployed, or working part time jobs that they got on their own. I actually don’t know anyone who got help from the Art Institute in getting a job.
My parents utilized the Parent Plus loan, and I’m going to tell everyone a frank fact about this place now that I’ve had time to reflect: you will probably die before you pay off all your debt. Now that that drama is out of the way… But really, it’s likely you will get it excused. I believe there is a cap off at 25 years of paying back, that after that period, the rest of your debt is forgiven. I am a good student, I had both the PELL Grant and HOPE Scholarship, though my class was small, I had the highest grades out of everyone. I’m a driven student, and I attended my classes on a regular basis. Why wouldn’t AiA help a student like me in getting a job? That really is an interesting question. Sure, each advisor deals with a number of students, but it seems like there’s more of an emphasis on convincing students to continue their education here (to elicit more money from them, one assumes), than to actually aid them in finding a job. I now have a job, but that had nothing to do with AiA, and everything to do with my own personal desire and resources.
I owe about 90 grand. Oh, and I only went to school for 3 years, so this wouldn’t even be the same amount as someone who went all 4 years. That should really put things into perspective for people, especially people mentioning how this is an expensive school, and a private institution, etc. Yes it is, but is it really worth almost 100 grand in debt? My honest opinion? Nope, not at all. I have a strong portfolio, yes, but it’s something I honestly think could have been achieved at other schools because this school doesn’t mine talent, it basically enhances the talent you already have. Which, I’m hoping, is the achievement of other institutions. At least if you’ve got any modicum of intelligence about you.
The University itself doesn’t care about you. Not. One. Bit. There are teachers I had who were great teachers, namely Larry and Kim, and they care for the success of their students, but the University itself just wants to squeeze you dry. The teachers would be the only saving grace of this place, and it’s the only reason it keeps that second star.

I am extremely inspired attending classes here. All of the professors teach not only industry essentials; they also make sure to stress the concept of networking and COMMUNICATING in a professional and concise manner. (Junior– Fashion Retail Management student)

Repeatedly harassed my daughter via phone when she decided she didn’t want any additional information from them after a high school recruitment event.
Stay classy, Art Institute.

I went to the Art Institute between 2001 to 2005, so my review maybe outdated. The school is a for profit school but with that say my experience was pretty good. The students and teachers were very nice, the place was clean most of the time. I got a BFA in Graphic Designer which was very useful for my first few jobs but after that it really comes down to your portfolio. Which is now has to be online.
Some of the downside of the school is that it’s really overprice but like most art schools, that’s true for all. It was one of the most easiest schools to get into and SAT did not matter, if you were willing to get financial aid. That was one of the biggest problems with the school itself. Most of the students had no business being in the school. If you don’t have the skills to design before getting in then having a degree will not help you when finding a job which was the main reason people when to the school.
The teachers were a hit or miss when you pick needed to take a class. If the teacher was good then the classes that they were teaching would always fill up. If the teacher was known to be easier the all the classes would fill up quickly too. Which was why when I had a good teacher, I would always pick that teacher when I needed a class that they were teaching but most teacher would stay for a year or so and leave.
If you are good with design then Art Institute is an okay school to go to but if you have no clue on what you want to do or your not good at design then stay away from AI. They will tell you that you can learn to be a good graphic designer which is not true.
Their is a saying, «If you don’t like numbers then don’t be an accounting.»

I’ve worked with a number of current students and graduates from here and have nothing but wonderful experiences with them. The staff and faculty are doing a tremendous job preparing the students for the chosen vocations.