Seattle Film Institute
Seattle, WA 98119-1707
About Seattle Film Institute
Seattle Film Institute is a private for-profit university in Seattle, Washington, enrolling about 65 students. Seattle Film Institute awards degrees and certificates tracked in federal College Scorecard and IPEDS reporting. Published tuition for full-time study is about $33,000 per year before aid; net price varies by family income. Student demographics in federal data include White (50.8%) and Black or African American (16.9%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- Seattle Film Institute charges about 2.0× the national private for-profit median tuition ($33,000).
- Versus the Washington median, sticker tuition is about 4.0×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 57.14%.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Film Institute | $33,000 | $41,595 | 1 |
| Private For-profit (national median) | $16,637 | — | 477 |
| Washington (state median) | $8,256 | $9,863 | 70 |
| Urban (City) (locale median) | $15,200 | $20,053 | 1,346 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Seattle Film Institute really?
Key findings
- Seattle Film Institute charges about 2.0× the national private for-profit median tuition ($33,000).
- Versus the Washington median, sticker tuition is about 4.0×.
Seattle Film Institute tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $33,000
Finding Seattle Film Institute charges about 2.0× the national private for-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $33,000. That is about 2.0× the national private for-profit median ($16,637). Versus the Washington median ($8,256), sticker tuition is about 4.0×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 2.8×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private for-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Seattle Film Institute versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Seattle Film Institute versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Seattle Film Institute is $41,595.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $41,595 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $31,732 above the Washington median net price. Versus urban (city) campuses, net price runs $21,542 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Seattle Film Institute, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Seattle Film Institute: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Seattle Film Institute—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
High completion indicates students finish programs at scale; it does not alone measure instructional quality or labor-market fit.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$33,000
Avg. net price
$41,595
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $39,209 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $40,856 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $46,934 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $132,000. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Seattle Film Institute is known for
Top program completions
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production22
- Music Technology12
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other8
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Seattle Film Institute a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Seattle Film Institute is a good school for those looking for high program completion rates.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Seattle Film Institute.
Campus
Location
Seattle, WA
City / state
- ZIP
- 98119-1707
- NCES locale
- City
Compared with Urban (City) campuses nationally, net price is about 2.1× the median for Urban (City) campuses ($20,053 median).
Control
Institution type
Private For-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or non-degree-granting)
Size
Enrollment
65
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 78
- Graduate
- 20
- Full-time share
- 95%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$13,000
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 56.67%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Seattle Film Institute.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Seattle Film Institute was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Seattle Film Institute in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2016–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $30,240 | $30,240 | — |
| 2017 | $30,240 | $30,240 | $41,842 |
| 2018 | $30,240 | $30,240 | $39,515 |
| 2019 | $30,240 | $30,240 | $45,716 |
| 2020 | $30,240 | $30,240 | $36,845 |
| 2021 | $30,240 | $30,240 | $36,054 |
| 2022 | $33,000 | $33,000 | $36,334 |
| 2023 | $33,000 | $33,000 | $41,429 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Seattle Film Institute reported total enrollment of about 65 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 71% male and 29% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (50.8%), Black or African American (16.9%), and Two or More Races (12.3%). About 56.67% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
95.4% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Seattle Film Institute in 2024 is 65 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 78 students. Graduate enrollment is about 20 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
77.8%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
0.00% 100% Completion Time
57.14% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from Seattle Film Institute completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production: 68% male / 32% female
- Music Technology: 67% male / 33% female
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other: 75% male / 25% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
What do Seattle Film Institute graduates earn—and in which programs?
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Seattle Film Institute.
Evidence Median federal loan debt: $13,000. Average net price used in cost models: $41,595.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Seattle Film Institute.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 3 programs by IPEDS completions (4 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Seattle Film Institute.
Employment Outcomes
Employment outcome data is not available for this institution.
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Seattle Film Institute graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Seattle Film Institute—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $5,625
- Washington median 0.59× the median ($9,588)
- Far West median 0.58× the median ($9,635)
- U.S. median 0.74× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $4,980
- Washington median 0.58× the median ($8,580)
- Far West median 0.71× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 0.68× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Seattle Film Institute at a glance
Seattle Film Institute
Seattle Film Institute is a private for-profit institution in Seattle, WA, classified as Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or non-degree-granting).
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Cinematography and Film/Video ProductionMusic TechnologyFilm/Video and Photographic Arts, Other
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian50.8%Black or African American16.9%Two or More Races12.3%
Schools near Seattle Film Institute
Other campuses in Seattle, WA when available, plus nearby institutions in Washington.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Washington, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Seattle Film Institute located?
Seattle Film Institute is located in Seattle, WA.
What is Seattle Film Institute's tuition?
Seattle Film Institute tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $33,000 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $41,595 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Seattle Film Institute cost?
Reported tuition is $33,000 and average net price is $41,595 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $17,310 annually.
What is the student body demographics at Seattle Film Institute?
Seattle Film Institute reports undergraduate enrollment of about 78 students, White (50.8%), Black or African American (16.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
What is the graduation rate at Seattle Film Institute?
The 150%-time completion rate is 57.1% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Seattle Film Institute students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $13,000.
Is Seattle Film Institute public or private?
Seattle Film Institute is a private for-profit institution located in Seattle, WA.
Is Seattle Film Institute an HBCU?
No. Seattle Film Institute is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Seattle Film Institute a tribal college?
No. Seattle Film Institute is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Seattle Film Institute a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Seattle Film Institute does not meet that proxy (reported share 9.2%).
Is Seattle Film Institute religiously affiliated?
No religious affiliation is reported for Seattle Film Institute in IPEDS institutional characteristics.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.