Maryland Institute College of Art Reviews

"For everyone considering going here, DON'T. RUN FAR, FAR AWAY! The education is subpar and MICA is only relying on it's reputation for coercing young and impressionable adults into it's overpriced programs. There is no kind of networking or help with your career at all and the career development office is a joke. If you get into the fine arts majors, be prepared to make less art and spend more time just talking about art and art history. Oh, and if you prefer figurative art, be prepared to be ignored as there is an intense bias towards abstraction. While most professors are incredibly pretentious, there are some who are good quality. Unfortunately, MICA's administration continues to be more greedy and tries to stuff up classrooms with 20+ students to 1 teacher, diluting the quality of their teaching. Furthermore, most of these students are international students who don't have a good grasp of English, so teachers are wasting their time with these students who aren't comprehending what the professor is saying for the sake of MICA's marketing team to be able to sell their program to the rich families overseas who don't need any kind of financial aid! Oh, and after you graduate, be prepared to either go home and live with your parents like all my friends did. The other alternative is, like me, stay in one of the worst cities in America where there's no hope for you making a career in art."

"MICA is an extremely unique school, with a nurturing and hands-on approach to learning. As a top art school, the curriculum was extremely demanding and equally rewarding. The approach to learning at MICA is holistic and melds rigorous studio coursework with poignant and often art-related academics. MICA students have the ability to truly study subjects that they are interested in and are given the opportunity to form a curriculum that is completely catered to their specific needs and interests. The faculty at MICA is thoughtful, well-rounded, bright and extremely motivating."

"MICA is a supportive community of creative individuals. As an international student, I thought I would have a difficult time adjusting to the American Educational system but MICA continuously proves me wrong as everyone I meet in this school has been very accommodating and generous of their time. My professors are very accessible and easy to talk to. They would do everything in their capacity to help out each and every one in our cohort. Because the class sizes are intimate, I feel the education is very personal and I feel motivated to perform even amidst the rigorous work load."

"I am really glad I went to art school even though it didn't necessarily lay out that much of a career path for me. I do wish I had been educated more about the financial aspects of a college education. Just because you are eligible for a loan for $20K a year doesn't mean you should take it!"

"Graphic Design is the reason to go to Maryland College Institute of Art. While the school has earned a great deal of respect for its other fine art programs, MICA and its graphic design faculty have put in a lot of time, effort and money into improving the classes and technology for GD students. My program, the GD MFA program, recently underwent renovations, giving us a new work room with several large format printers and a new studio for our expanding program. MICA has also recently hired a whole bunch of new design faculty members with specific digital and interactive expertise which means more UX and IA classes for students, as well as more individualized time. One thing you can say for the whole of MICA is that it is very student-centric. The student body is what matters most to all MICA employees and thanks to these improvements the student body, especially in graphic design, will only get stronger."

"I have had an amazing experience at MICA!!! From the very first relationship forged through the great institution with my admissions counselor I have felt loved. Everything about my application process felt über personal and customized to me. MICA let me know early on that they wanted me as a student and consistently stayed in touch through the application process. This made it very easy for me to pick which school to go to. I mean, why not attend the school that makes you feel special and one that willing to give such a huge scholarship & generous financial aid package? Wouldn't you?! My academic advisor continued the streak of amazing people whom I would meet and come to hold dear to my heart. She helped me figure out what classes and instructors would be best for me based on my passions and learning style. The courses are rigorous and MICA definitely prepares us to be more than just art makers. We leave each class more rounded and able to make a difference in the world. I have met more future world changers at MICA than I thought could possibly exist. I would highly recommend MICA as higher education super house. If one simply takes advantage of all of the resources made available to students and alumni there is no choice but to succeed in ones arts career of choice. I now have artist friends working in their dream jobs all over the world and I can't wait to join them thanks to MICA."

"I chose MICA because I could complete a BFA and MAT degree in two years. No other school offered this while still allowing me to focus on my own artistic practice, which I believe will greatly benefit me as an educator later on - too many art teachers in the field do not have a sense of their own practice, and thus cannot open their students to all the rewards of being a visual artist."

"My program highly value on painting. I has long historical context , so it is really helpful to make my knowlege of painting deepen. Also, the access to contemporary art is fairly good, it helps me to broaden my sense of contemporary art. The cons of my graduate program is the scale of this major is small. There are only 8 members of graduate students in each academy year."

"So far every person I've interacted with at MICA has been keenly interested in me and seems to really care about its students. The graduate admissions and financial aid offices are extremely helpful. I've been impressed so far with how MICA leverages technology to communicate with students, and it's evident to me that MICA is highly regarded as one of the most premiere fine arts schools in the country."

"The Studio Center was just renovated so personal studio spaces are optimum."