One of America's oldest art colleges, MICA prepares creative innovators to lead in design, fine arts, and beyond.
MICA offers undergraduate and graduate degrees including Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Master of Professional Studies (MPS). The college provides pre-college programs, post-baccalaureate certificates, continuing studies, and youth studio art classes. Some programs are available fully online or in hybrid formats. With 178 full-time and 433 part-time faculty, MICA maintains an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) since 1967 and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) since 1948.
MICA's urban campus spans 1.5 miles in Baltimore's Mount Royal neighborhood, featuring a mix of historic and contemporary buildings. Key facilities include the 1908 Main Building (housing painting, drawing, and photography studios), the 1896 Mount Royal Station (now home to fiber, sculpture, and the Rinehart School of Sculpture), the Bunting Center (with liberal arts departments and Decker Library), and the renovated Dolphin Building (housing interactive arts, game design, and architectural design). Student housing includes Founder's Green, Meyerhoff House, and The Gateway. The college hosts annual events including MICA Weekend, ArtWalk, and Fashion Week, and maintains partnerships with 14 other Baltimore colleges and universities.
MICA accepts applications on a rolling basis with an acceptance rate of 62% (Fall 2017). Undergraduate applicants must submit portfolios and meet application deadlines; Fall 2026 Early Action deadline is December 1, 2025, with priority scholarship consideration by March 15, 2026. Graduate admissions have multiple rounds, with Round 1 for competitive scholarships closing January 19, 2025. The college offers one-on-one appointments with admission counselors and hosts campus visits for prospective students. International students are welcome to apply.
86% of BFA graduates working immediately after graduation are employed in art-related fields, while 23% pursue graduate study. From 2009 to 2017, 14 MICA graduates received Fulbright awards and five earned Jacob Javits Fellowships. Alumni have received Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grants and Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarships. MICA graduates work across diverse sectors including defense, space, IT, fashion, healthcare, education, nonprofit leadership, government, and hospitality, with many becoming entrepreneurs and team leaders.