Pacific Northwest College of Art
- 4 Year
- PORTLAND, OR
CollegeGrad School
Willamette UniversityPacific Northwest College of Art
- grade C minusOverall Grade
- 4 Year
- PORTLAND, OR
- Rating 3.59 out of 5 106 reviews
Pacific Northwest College of Art Reviews
Rating 3.59 out of 5 106 reviews
The professors are all pretty great, and I of course like to learn about art. The housing situation is the worst part about PNCA, in my opinion. It’s required but not stable.
I am an Intermedia Major and I have been attending PNCA for 2 years now and so far it's been very solid. A lot of the classes that aren't studio arts-based are very interesting and discuss concepts in a whole different way compared to traditional schooling. the class sizes are on the smaller side which I enjoy, most academic classes are done in a seminar-type style and have a large focus on critical thinking and analysis. Every class I've taken has been beneficial for building my skills in art, media analysis, writing proposals and grants, and engaging in art from the lens of a serious artist. The community is amazing for networking with others who share the same or different art tastes and styles. I will also say, that if you plan on coming it is a lot harder to slack off as the majority of the classes are self-driven. Some students don't make it out of their foundation year because of a lack of priority management. It's very much serious work here and not easy.
I graduated from the Illustration Department and honestly grew both as an artist and a person. The course loads were difficult to manage but prepared me for a demanding career in a creative field. I recommend if you become a student you meet with your mentor often as my mentor was so valuable and added a ton to my experience.
The PNCA community is VERY queer and neurodivergent friendly, PNCA was the first place I truly felt safe and cared for in my identity.
The PNCA community is VERY queer and neurodivergent friendly, PNCA was the first place I truly felt safe and cared for in my identity.
I am horrified to learn that for foundation, there is only one (optional!!!) drawing class for one semester only (half the year). The students are painting in the drawing class without learning to draw. How can artists have a good foundation without learning to draw!!!
I think it's a great and accessible school, for being private. The teachers are interesting and seem to care, and it's pretty there :-)
School just started for me, it’s my 2nd week at PNCA but I think that this school is okay ! It is a bit expensive, but the dorms are really nice, and the students here are able to access almost anything at the school. They have plenty of resources if needed as well.
The campus is charming. Students and staff are all very friendly. Pretty competitive but friendly competition.
PNCA is like a loving family and everyone wants you to succeed, whether it's the instructors, staff, or students, they are the best. I meet so many diverse people from all different cultures, races and genders. The Republicans would hate it because PNCA is very woke. The printing department is one of my favorite places, but the other departments are just as equally good. They have a variety of instructors who have so much experience and knowledge. The only thing I would change is nothing.
Seems promising on the outside but once you start it really isn’t worth your money. Most of the teachers are fine but the staff are really disorganized, the main office was messy with stuff everywhere and it smelled like old mac n’ cheese. You gotta be on your toes with financial aid as they can double charge you and last min communication. Registrar can be a mess to contact. As for the curriculum I speak for the animated arts degree which is very lack luster, can’t really tell us the graduation to job placement percentage, more liberal/history/crap classes than actual animation classes in the degree. Honestly pathetic and it’s no surprise not many students get jobs afterwards. However it’s the only art school left in Portland after the other 2 closed down… I wonder why? It’s now 40k+ a year and there are much better art schools for that much or less out there. So don’t bother unless you got time to kill or you can’t afford to go out of state for art school like me.
Good scholarships but rising tuition doesn’t mean scholarships rise too. Advocate for yourself to get the funding you need. Great faculty!
I just started at PNCA this Spring semester 2023 and so far it is going wonderful! I did have some issues with getting transferred and settled in, but regardless of that, it is going beyond more wonderful than what I anticipated! I've made new friends, I'm getting along with my professors, I have excellent grades, and I'm participating in lots of school events and activities which helps me standout and make connects with others.
I regret having stepped one foot in the building. The graduate faculty were terrible, and the program offers so, so little. There is not enough space for the number of students PNCA accepts, so the facilities are overcrowded and poorly maintained (basic problems like the heat, water, and internet are always breaking down.) The professors are mostly failed artists, and failed academics who ended up at PNCA as their last chance. The teaching is poor because the professors simply do not have experience themselves as real artists or scholars. While they completely lack in knowledge, they try to pretend this is a normal program by pushing high-school-like school discipline, ie. grades, evaluations, rhubric, etc. It is so absurd, because the teachers themselves are the least able to judge anything on art or design, since they are such failed artists themselves. This school is a caricature of an art school that takes your money, and offers almost nothing in return.
PNCA offeres a very intamte educational experience. With small class sizes, and a diverse range of classes you get a personalized art education experience.
I like the classes and classroom learning . What lacks is the return of investment. The projects are due with in a week or two. There isn’t much of the work we could use as portfolio work. There is a lot of homework expect 6 hours of homework each day. Surprisingly you take required classes like LA and Science more than actual art classes. The cost is expensive for tuition. Financial aid won’t cover even half of cost. There is not a lot of diversity in classes and teachers.
The school is very analog, which I like. I like making things by hand and the professors who teach you the skills are masters in their area. I am always impressed with the artistic ability of my teachers. My only critique is that a huge part of being a successful artist is connections, entrepreneurship, website, branding, etc. I am going into my thesis year and I have yet to feel confident about what will come post graduation.
It’s a fun school full of supportive teachers and interesting people! The willamette merger kind of sucks but PNCA is amazing.
The teachers have been very attentive with me and responsive. I am excited about the curriculum, and student life. I feel supported by the community.
this school is a waste of money. you'll get some sort of surprise fee every semester-- sometime its $300, sometimes it $6,000. communication (especially after the merger with willamette) is pretty much impossible. you'll have to reach out to like 5 different people for one issue and still wont get a clear answer. you wont get any sort of studio space for your thesis year without an extra $450 fee, ***per semester***. even the tiny lockers cost money. class quality ranges from awful to okay. rarely good. of course, i've learned some valuable things here, but the quality of support and feedback that we get is definitely not worth the amount that we're paying. not all of that has to do with the teachers, a lot of it is also just the student body being generally unmotivated, and not being taught how to give or receive useful feedback. you'll meet some amazing people, but it is the vast minority. speaking of minority, this school preaches diversity, but it is truly so performative.
Sadly we had high hopes for PNCA, but with the merger with Willamette it was a mess. Alot of systems weren't in place and Portland still has alot of issues it's dealing with. If you are planning to attend here, ask ALOT of questions about security, housing and how the merger has impacted classes, teachers and staff will affect your student.
The majority of the professors are passionate and kind. They meet students at their skill level and focus on helping them improve in order to go into their desired field. However, the school has an issue with antisemitism amongst some of the staff that has driven students and professors alike away. I have also faced issues with some professors pushing me towards a particular art style that was more along the lines of their own personal tastes despite not lining up with the field I intend to go into and my current style has been belittled rather than encouraged to improve in a few classes. Recently communication has improved thanks to the merger with Willamette but I must acknowledge the lack of organization that PNCAs financial aid office has had in the past. They have been known to lose healthcare waivers, costing students thousands as they charged healthcare costs unnecessarily. Overall my experience has been positive but I felt these details imperative to include.