The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division Reviews

"Okay the school isn't that bad. It really for people who are very independent and don't really need much guidance or so much on hands instructions. I got dropped fast by the way because I had a baby and now I am back which they told me I had to pay 600$ out of pocket but I told them I couldn't and they gave me a scholarship : ) so I decided to continue, to finish what I started. I looked at it like I'll still have to pay so might as well finish it and I am a fast worker I am dong week 2 work still in week 1 . Online school is really for people that could motivate themselves and keep up with their schooling. People say your teaching yourself but college is the same way but with a little more oversight. Theirs nobody telling you to study, theirs nobody telling you to do your homework you have to take it and want it and do it. I don't really like that the teacher are only online for a certain amount of time but they do give them their personal email. So I don't rate it that bad but it is expensive .. and for future students or anyone looking to attend it's really all on you what you can handle and your pace of work !"

"It's all about the money. You get an academic advisor, but they work for AI (not you). You get a financial advisor, but they work for AI (not you). If you're considering enrolling ask them "How much is this going to cost?" I was told $60,000 when I enrolled, but it's closer to $100K. Mine ended up around $90K, but if you Google other reviews there are a LOT of AI grads that paid over $100K and AI does not find you a job! If you go to their job page (I just did), most of the jobs have (0) availability. One had (10) so I clicked on it and it went to a page that said "no items matched your search". Here's the trick! A regular university requires 120 units to graduate with a Bachelor's. Check your degree program. You have to do it yourself. They don't total it and they'll avoid answering, but do the math yourself. Your program probably requires 140 units at Art Institute. At $500 per unit $70,000 minimum. You will run out of student loan money if you pursue a Bachelor Degree with these guys. If you want to finish the program you gotta pull money out of your pocket. In my case it was nearly $30K P-L-U-S the $59,000 in student loans. There are Community Colleges and Tech Colleges that will do a better job for a lot less money, and you'll meet people from the area and network. If you're already enrolled, consider finishing your AA and just transfer. If you're thinking of enrolling ask these questions: How much will this cost? How many units in this program? How much per unit? The other trick about AI is that the answers are on the web page, but they're hidden. You click on "How Much Will This Cost" and it sends you through a maze of personal questions which will set their sales staff on you."

"This "school" and its professors are an absolute joke. It was great in the beginning because the recruiter PAID for my entrance fee because I was on hard times and really wanted to further my education. After that it was nonstop accusation about me "not drawing anything myself from my portfolio." I left after one of my professors failed me because I couldn't do geometric shapes and perspective very well and she claimed none of the art I submitted to get in was my own. It's been 4 years since then (I didn't graduate, by the way.) and I will never consider going back to this or any art college. I've learned art teachers are the absolute worst. They aren't in it to further your artistic prowess. They only want to tear you down and take your money. I'm in 10k and I didn't even finish a semester. Awful place. Do not recommend."

"Horrible school. I called this place multiple times and each time no one was there to help with settling my student loans. I left messages multiple times with my name and number but no one returned my calls of course . I was supposed to talk to someone named Amanda and nothing. No calls no messages or anything. Definitely would not recommend this school to anyone."

"Don't do it!!! I can't emphasize enough what a over priced, total waste of time this was for my daughter. Please go to a local college or program where you will have access to instructors, counslors and other students first hand instead of trying to communicate with these people and basically trying to research and learn things on your own which is what happens here. Not to mention the cost and poor financial aid options."

"Started classes mid 2007 but dropped out mid 2009 with OVER 60 credit hours completed and a 3.5+ GPA. I was almost done but they wanted me to take out another personal loan. I could not. No degree and I still owe more on all those loans than the mortgage on my house. The classes were hit and miss, while some had excellent teachers and I learned a lot. One class I took the professor never showed up, I still did the course work and it eventually was graded. With that class and a few others the learning was more on me not the school. I agree with other people with todays online resources you could learn a lot for little or free, there was not as much 10 years ago. Or you can do what I did and go to community college. I eventually ended up with a simple AAS medical administrative degree for almost no debt. With that degree I went for something practical in hopes of a decent job."

"I had a great time with the online classes at AIP Online, the instructors are very well educated and I graduate this year with my bachelors degree in computer science. I am in a older student (54) that only took part time classes,just so I could work my day job. Its a wonderful school and I learned some great information from there. Glad I went and proud of my accomplishment. One of the best things I ever did. I'm sure school is expensive but you get what you work for.I loved it all and took my time, close to 8 years to finish and I never failed a class.I had time to do most anything I wanted and still pass, but if you want to learn what you need to succeed in the art profession its best to spend quality time on your assignments. AIP Online staff are super nice people that do their part to make it happen for you, as long as you do your part and keep at it, you can be great from a degree at AIP Online."

"I went to this school because I wanted the best education for my degree. This school isn't it. They allow you mostly open book tests and don't care if you graduate. They boast placement and never once tried to place me. I even emailed and asked and nobody helped at all. It's a very expensive school for very little education and support."

"I absolutely regret spending so much time and money here. It's not that great in quality as far as the work that's assigned and what's expected for I can learn most of this online by having a subscription to Lynda.com. I mean, my high school art assignments were much more difficult than the ones at this school. Many of the instructors aren't great either. Their assignment instructions were often vague, causing me to lose points because they weren't clear. It's also quite wishy-washy what they expect in an assignment, and can they ding you on just about any nonsense you "forgot" to include in the assignment, yet the instructions don't call for said nonsense. I hope this makes sense. Just save your money. Don't go to school for graphic design or the like because most of it can be self-taught."

"This school is a TOTAL RIP OFF!!!!!! The cost of tuition is ridiculous and entirely too much for what is provided. You are literally teaching yourself and the cost of a 5.5-week course doesn't make sense. They force you to purchase e-Books every session and they expire after you graduate. The majority of the books have the same information. And 90% of the time the students don't even use them. I really hate that I enrolled here!"

"The AI online division school is a waste of time. I went in very excited to learn, ended up with instructors that gave ridiculous homework. I had a an instructor who made us draw an apple in different ways for every assignment. This school will literally take anyone in as long as you're willing to pay the vast amount of money or take out loans and ve in debt for the rest of your life. Do some research on other schools, trust me you're better off anywhere else."

"I think that the teachers they hired were great, it's just the tuition was way too much for what a student gets out of it. Also the financial services is the worst. They kept forgetting to process my VA certifications. After the first couple times they said they were sorry and it wouldn't happen again, but it did happen and I believe that it is because they were constantly receiving new people in that department and people were quitting or maybe they were fired...either way, the only kind of income I had was through my G.I. Bill and it kept getting delayed. This school doesn't care about military and it showed. I am writing this to let other potential military students to look elsewhere for a degree. It was too stressful and I felt like once I was in the system with the school they stopped caring about helping me. I drove to the school so many times trying to speak to the finance department, but they never answer or their receptionist answers and says they are not available like 100% of the time."

"Even though it was online it was like being in the classroom. The teachers held discussions and had visuals. If you had questions, problems, etc they were there to help."

"Needed 2 classes to finish but i just couldn't continue with this clown school. You are better off buying the programs for the year and take tutorial classes and you tube videos. You will learn more on your own in a month than 1 year of this 20000 dollar joke. If you are a vet do not use your hard earned benefits for this profit school. Take classes at a community college. 1 or 2 classes will gain you more than this program also. Will be making a complaint with the VA about this program for lack of education."

"Go somewhere else. Anywhere else. The admissions people were so excited that I would take classes and that I should start right away. I was impressed by the amount of advisors assigned to me on my first day (admissions, financial, career, etc). The entire two year process after that first day was awful. The link that was sent to me for the Autodesk Student Community didn't work. The classes are set up so that you don't really need/use the professor. Even when you have questions you would be lucky if your professor ever got back to you. After pushing myself and basically teaching myself through youtube and vine videos I realized that for a Certificate - $26,000 is too much for the lack of communication and education that I received. I graduated anyway. My gov't loans and grants ended up only covering about $23k. So I owed the Art Institute $3,000. I was informed that not only would I not receive my transcripts, but I could not receive my Certificate/diploma without a $0 balance. ARE YOU SERIOUS. So I spent two years and way too much money on an education to further my career and now you are telling me that I will have no proof when I enter the job field of my education??? I can only pay $50/month and I still have to pay my student loans back like $350/month.....so what was the point??? LIFE LESSON LEARNED. I should have gone to Animation Mentor or just purchased the software and taught myself online. It would have saved me about twenty grand."

"This is possibly the worst school I have ever worked with. They are only out to get your money. They act super wonderful and nice to start with, but you will be set up to fail later on. I am now in my third class at this school, but they locked me out of my course due to a mistake on their end. I have contacted so many people now, and either nobody gets back with me, or nobody has any answers for me. They say my advisor has to do something with it, but then my advisor never replies. They are completely doing it for the money, not to help you. The courses are set up nicely, if you can even get help to get into them."

"The classes aren't awful. For an online degree, I felt I've learned a bit actually. The AutoCAD class started at about probably 20-something and only I along with 2 or three others finished. There was a lawyer in the class, who said that she had never taken a class so demanding--- she dropped out too. It was ridiculous. My real gripe though is their finance department. Nothing but a thorn in my side!! They just can't get things right! I'm so frustrated I could scream. After getting a letter in the mail from 'recovery services,' I was only told I'd have to wait for the next letter to come in the mail. This of course, was after I was told I now had to pay for classes in full if I was only going to take a class at a time BEFORE I started class. I paid, started and finished the class, but I owe money? I've had about 6 finance advisors since starting, which to be fair, was a few years ago now, but still... There's only been a few times when I've talked with the same advisor twice. The classes are decent, but the harassing calls from people trying to get you back in class (sometimes even at 9 at night,) and the abysmal quality of the financial staff, I'm not sure if I would choose this school again, knowing what I know now."

"OK for one thing I didn't graduate. Even before I started their were signs, but I was to excited to care. The lady helping me had no clue. They told me my high school didn't exist and that I never went to one. After giving the same info again. They found it. After that was a nightmare. Took classes they told me I'd never had to take. After about five classes and starting my sixth one. I was lovely kicked out. For what you may ask. Oh not handing my work and not showing up for classes. Which was a flat out lie. I sighed in every day and made copies of my work. Even was getting good grade. Which I email all of them to the school. Every art work and essay I work on. After this they told me I could come back after a same fee. I told them no and pay off my 5000 loan and never looked back. Now I don't even want to draw. I lost that passion in my life. I have people tell me I can go back and should go to school. If I never did. I never do online again. Or this school."

"Always has some kind of problems and will burn you out and you will just quit because of the run around. Very dishonest place and a scam .Do not do it !!!! You are waiting all of your time and will be very dis satisfied !!!! 5 weeks of class and now they say I owe 6000$ yes 6000$ and couldn't even get the financial aid right so I could even attend . Very very sad place and this is a true scam"

"Honestly, you'd be as well off getting books on animation and modeling online and watching youtube tutorials- that's basically all their classes consisted of. The teachers rarely gave any feedback and what they did give was totally useless. I usually got better feedback from my classmates and friends outside of school. After I graduated, the career placement office was equally unhelpful. Not one time did they try to help me find something in my field, but rather they would try to find anything local, no matter how unrelated. I studied game design, and I was more than willing to move for a job, but they tried to convince me to take a job with a local newspaper. From what I understand, I'm not the only one they've done that with, and that's how they maintain their high placement numbers- they helped you find a job...sort of. They never said they'd help get you into the area that you just paid a ton of money to study! Save yourself a fortune and go somewhere else."