# Academy of Art University

> for-profit art school in San Francisco, California, USA

**Wikidata**: [Q2822225](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2822225)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Art_University)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/academy-of-art-university

## Summary
Academy of Art University is a private for-profit art school located in San Francisco, California, USA, founded in 1929. As one of the largest art and design universities in the United States, it offers programs across various artistic disciplines and enrolls approximately 8,928 students as of 2020.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 1929 as the Academy of Advertising Art before becoming Academy of Art University
- Located at 79 New Montgomery, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
- Private for-profit educational institution specializing in arts, music, and design
- Employs 1,577 staff members (as of September 2020)
- Enrolls approximately 8,928 students (as of September 2020)
- Known as the Urban Knights, with its athletics program being the Academy of Art Urban Knights
- Operates on a semester-based academic calendar
- Affiliated with notable alumni including Andrej Preston (Slovenian Internet celebrity) and Bill Kovacs (American animator)

## FAQs
### Q: When was Academy of Art University founded?
A: Academy of Art University was founded in 1929, initially established as the Academy of Advertising Art before becoming known by its current name.

### Q: How large is Academy of Art University in terms of student population?
A: Academy of Art University enrolls approximately 8,928 students as of September 2020, making it one of the largest art and design universities in the United States.

### Q: Where is Academy of Art University located?
A: The university is located at 79 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

### Q: What is the mascot of Academy of Art University?
A: The official mascot of Academy of Art University is the Urban Knights, which is also the name of its athletics program.

### Q: What is the academic structure of Academy of Art University?
A: Academy of Art University operates on a semester-based academic calendar and is classified as a private for-profit educational institution with a special focus on arts, music, and design schools.

## Why It Matters
The Academy of Art University plays a significant role in the landscape of art education in the United States as one of the largest for-profit art institutions. Its comprehensive curriculum spanning various artistic disciplines provides education to thousands of students annually, many of whom go on to careers in the competitive creative industries. The university's substantial faculty of 1,577 instructors demonstrates its commitment to providing hands-on education and mentorship. Additionally, its downtown San Francisco location places it at the heart of a major cultural and technological hub, offering students opportunities for internships and industry connections. The institution's integration of traditional art education with modern digital practices reflects the evolving nature of the creative professions, preparing students for the demands of contemporary artistic and design fields.

## Notable For
- One of the largest for-profit art schools in the United States with over 8,900 students
- Unique distinction of being both an art academy and a comprehensive university offering both undergraduate and graduate programs
- Extensive alumni network including notable figures like animator Bill Kovacs (1949-2006) and Slovenian internet celebrity Andrej Preston
- The only art school with athletics program known as the Urban Knights
- Maintains a significant international presence with students from various countries and programs available in multiple languages

## Body
### Basic Information
Academy of Art University is a private for-profit educational institution located in San Francisco, California, USA. Founded in 1929, it was initially established as the Academy of Advertising Art before becoming known by its current name. The university's main campus is situated at 79 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105, with coordinates at latitude 37.78785 and longitude -122.40065.

### Institutional Classification
Academy of Art University is classified as:
- Private for-profit educational institution
- Special focus four-year school in arts, music, and design
- Four-year, large institution primarily nonresidential
- Higher education institution with majority undergraduate enrollment
- Professions-focused with high graduate coexistence

### Student and Faculty Population
As of September 2020, the institution enrolls approximately 8,928 students and employs 1,577 staff members. The academic calendar operates on a semester system.

### Academic Programs
While the specific programs are not detailed in the source material, the institution offers arts, music, and design-focused education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, classified as having postbaccalaureate programs with arts & sciences components.

### Athletics
The university's athletics program is known as the Academy of Art Urban Knights, with the Urban Knights serving as the official mascot. The program participates in various intercollegiate competitions.

### Notable Affiliations
The institution has connections to several notable individuals:
- Andrej Preston: Slovenian Internet celebrity, programmer, and computer scientist with birth year 1986
- Bill Kovacs: American animator, engineer, and computer scientist (1949-2006)

### Digital Presence
Academy of Art University maintains a significant online presence with:
- Official website: https://www.academyart.edu/
- Twitter handle: @academy_of_art
- Instagram: @academy_of_art
- Facebook: AcademyofArtUniversity
- YouTube channel IDs: UCLPgV5dTL49zwIvrZXUhJxQ and UCKBbRLuMP8SiuCBsoq31MAQ
- TikTok: academyofartuniversity
- Tumblr: academyartu
- Pinterest: academyartuni
- Threads: academy_of_art

### Official Identifiers
The institution has various official identifiers including:
- ISNI: 0000000406331556
- ROR ID: 04jr0a134
- GRID ID: grid.441376.3
- VIAF ID: 278094510
- Freebase ID: /m/06t577
- Geonames ID: 5322279
- SEVIS School ID: 8467
- IPEDS ID: 108232
- Library of Congress Authority ID: no2012134071
- Encyclopedia of China (third edition) ID: 499126

## References

1. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
2. [Source](http://www.79nm.com/)
3. [Source](http://info.art.edu/)
4. [Source](http://info.academyartonline.com/)
5. Open ISNI for Organizations
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. [Source](http://artuathletics.com/)
8. [Source](http://www.urbanknightsradio.com/)
9. [Source](http://aauemails-public.sharepoint.com/)
10. [Source](https://academyart-csm.symplicity.com/students/)
11. [Source](http://aauphoto.com/)
12. GeoNames
13. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)
14. GRID Release 2016-05-31
15. Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
16. Quora
17. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
18. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
19. [Source](https://www.academyart.edu/)
20. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)
21. National Center for Education Statistics