Southwest University of Visual Arts

If you think it's bad being a student, let it be known they also teach their instructors awful, and the owners are very abusive to the staff. The owners don't care about art or design at all and are flat out business people out to make a huge profit, and they do, they probably gross close to 3 million a year off your student loans. And what does everyone get out of it? I think maybe I saw 25 people graduate a semester...but 400 students enroll every fall-they count on all those people that drop out. They make about 3,000 per person a class, you know how much they pay their adjuncts? $3,600 per class if it's over 10 people-ask yourself what are you paying for? where does the other 30k go? And it's as hard to get your check as it is for students to ever get the classes they need to graduate. I've seen students wait years for them to finally run a class so they can graduate. They dont care about art, they care about making money off young people that think they are going to be the next andy warhol, None of you design majors will ever find graphic design work in albuquerque-I'm sorry but it's true. This place is fraud. and I'm sorry if you found this message too late and you have already started handing them your money. Once you graduate and that 700/month student loan bill starts coming and you are working at JCPenny's home and design center, and you can't afford to ever put a mortgage down on a house, tell all your friends don't by into for-profit institutions-it's modern indentured servatude, and the people running these places have not a lick of conscious about what they are doing to people lives. It's all about the bottom line to them. sigh-it's a sad state of affairs in this country right now. we all need jobs, and people are cashing in on our believe that higher education is the only answer. more

The Art Center Design College is not a school you want to waste your time on. The school teaches students to be professional, but the staff and school is very unorganized and unprofessional. I have wasted so much money on such a horrible school. The school is to expensive for such poor quality. The school has tried over charging me several times, lost money and couldn't even find where it went. They tried charging me for a semester i wannest even there. They are constantly messing up schedules so you can't graduate on time. The gen ed teachers that teach are not professional and sometimes just read from the books. Not to mention, you have to pay all the money on tuition, but you also have to pay for tons of supplies costing sometime up to $1000 a semester. THIS SCHOOL IS NOT WORTH IT. more

My experiences at this school have been positive. First, I didn't want to take some of the classes that are required such as Gen Eds and some of the required beginning level classes like Intro to Drawing, but I was surprised at how much I learned in these classes. Some of the negative comments that people are posting are probably from people who don't bother to put in the effort or time to actually learn something, they just assume the teachers are there to entertain them which is unreasonable. Or maybe people are unable or unwilling to put their education first, I'm not sure. All I know is that I am learning a lot. more

THIS SCHOOL IS UNPROFESSIONAL, TOO EXPENSIVE FOR THE LACK OF EDUCATION. STUDENT SERVICES DOESN'T EXIST. THE TEACHERS ARE NOT QUALIFIED. THEY ARE HARDLY LEGAL WITH HOLDING YOUR FINANCIAL AID UNTIL THE END OF THE SEMESTER. GETTING ANY SUPPORT FROM THE SCHOOL TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL TO GRADUATE IS A JOKE. THIS SCHOOL IS A BUSINESS, NOT A HIGHER EDUCATION. \r more

Unprofessional, lacking organization, structure and solidity to the hype. more

One thing I've noticed as a student is the constant changing of staff and teachers. One semester I'll have someone I really like, and tell my friends to take a class with them, and the next semester they are gone. Cons: my teachers more

I urge you with all sincerity to not attend this horrible, horrible school. This place is as close to a fraud as you can get. Nearly all of the instructors have little to no experience in the fields they teach and the chairs, when there actually are any, are equally as inexperienced. Many companies will rejected a student’s portfolio simply because they went to this poor excuse for a school. The school is basically considered a joke in the arts communities it claims to service. Tuition is ridiculously expensive for facilities that are never updated with more that a few computers and empty classrooms. In the past 2 years the school has gone through three different deans, more than 10 department chairs, and countless instructors. By the way all the good instructors have long since left the school. DO NOT ATTEND THIS SCHOOL! It will steal your money, leave you with no job prospects and leave you over 80,000 dollars in debt.\r \r The Illustration department is easily the worst and most antiquated program at the school. Not a single graduate of this school has ever become a successful nationally respected illustrator. Not a single graduate of this school has ever been accepted into the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Spectrum, or any other annual of merit. The curriculum is a joke, requiring students to complete illustration projects that have been obsolete for over a decade. The best a student of illustration at this school can hope for is doing t-shirt design, or local business illustration where standards of excellence do not exist. Furthermore the instructor considered to the illustration authority at The Art Center, Don Fox, has not worked as a fulltime illustrator for decades if ever and has no reputation at all outside of Tucson, and in Tucson his reputation barely can find it’s way out of the building. What he teaches are failed experiences and lackluster methods with no substance. Probably why students think they’re doing well.\r Pros: There are none. more

I am pleased to report that I am a successful graduate of the Art Center. I have tried large universities and community colleges and I can honestly say that the Art Center is the best place to receive an education. If you want small class sizes and individual attention of the instructors than the Art Center is where you want to go. I can speak from personal experience that to succeed in the fields of Art & Design you have to work hard, apply yourself and push outside your comfort zones. If you want to get an education that will test your skills, improve your talents and encourage you to do the best work in your life, than this is definitely the place you want to be. The faculty and staff honestly care about every single student and they want everyone to succeed. It doesn't make any sense otherwise. How well the students do in their industry of choice is a direct reflection on the college. Think about it... If the students are successful, so is the Art Center! They want you to be the best in your field of study and they will be there for you every step of the way. They have an amazing team of professionals who will work with you to ensure that you meet your own personal goals. My suggestion is that you set your goals high and the Art Center will help you get you there. Pros: Consistent regional and national wins in competitions more

Going to the Art Center was the best thing I could have done for my future. Since receiving my education I have personally won awards on the local, regional and national levels. I am now on a first-name basis with professionals in the industry that I never would have met otherwise. But like the radio commercials say, it is not the easiest, not the fastest and definately not the cheapest. Do not go here if you do not want to apply yourself to be the very best. But if you are willing to push yourself and go the distance, you will receive the benefits from a design college that is willing to help you along the way. Pros: Small class sizes, individual attention, talented faculty Cons: Lacks some of the student services larger colleges provide more

I went to this college eight years ago, I got Associate degree in there graphic design field. So far it's been hard for me I never got a job in this field, I moved to LA to see more advertising jobs. A mouth went by with 47 resume out there, but no phone calls for just a interview. So flipping burgers for 2 more mouths I move to Phoenix, AZ to try there same result, one day I was working at mid wage job i started to talk to person he owns a advertise company so i ask him why is it so hard for me to get a job in this field. He told me it didn't matter if i hand a associate or a bachelor it was the the school every 3 mouths he gets new resumes like no other you guys are a dime a dozen so he wont hire art center stunts at all.....he said. After hearing that i moved back Albuquerque living still with my parents and have little or no money. So take your time and money to a real college UNM or CNM were employer like to see. Pros: Packing Cons: everything!!!! more

I have been attending this school for 2 years. Unfortunatley I have been robbed of my time and money. They change teachers and faculty every semester. The newest faculty (11/2008) is the worst so far. Lack of classes, unflexible schedules, rude Student Services (Joan and the ""Dean"") and not much to offer for the money! Way too expensive for the lack of service and they don't care about the students' future! I am going to switch from a BA to an Associates ASAP to get out of this horrible school and to save myself from further disappointment and debt!\r CNM and UNM are worth your time and money!!!!!! Pros: Parking Cons: Stuedent Services, lack of classes, too exspensive! more