| Type | Campus-based creative media school; classes mix on-campus studio sessions with online sessions |
|---|---|
| Campuses | 5 in the US: Nashville TN (main), Atlanta GA, Chicago IL, Miami (North Miami Beach) FL and New York NY. New York was not accepting applications in October 2026 |
| Credentials | Diplomas; associate of applied science (AAS) degrees; a bachelor of applied science (BAS) in audio at Nashville |
| Program length | Diplomas 12 months; AAS 16 months (19 at Atlanta); BAS 32 months full time |
| Accreditation | ACCSC (institutional), all US campuses. Atlanta (Feb 2026) and Chicago (Sep 2026) are on ACCSC Warning |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell Grants, Direct Loans, Parent PLUS); GI Bill accepted |
| Owner | SAE Institute Group, Inc., owned by Navitas (Perth, Australia) since 2010. SAE was founded in Sydney in 1976 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
About SAE Institute in the US
SAE Institute was founded in Sydney, Australia in 1976. Its US schools belong to SAE Institute Group, Inc., which is owned by the Australian education company Navitas; Navitas bought SAE in 2010 and in 2022 sold SAE’s UK and European schools to AD Education, keeping the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The US campus in Nashville is the main school, and Atlanta, Chicago, Miami and New York are its branches. Audio is taught at all five; entertainment business, digital film and digital content creation only at some. SAE’s US schools no longer teach animation, game design or graphic design: those were programs of SAE Expression College in Emeryville, California, which stopped enrolling in 2021 and closed in 2022. Los Angeles and San Francisco are not current SAE campuses. The New York campus page said in October 2026 that it is not accepting applications for enrollment.
Audio, entertainment business, film and content programs by campus
Costs are the totals in SAE’s campus catalogs effective August 2026 (tuition, technology package, technology fee and administrative fee). SAE’s program web pages show lower figures for some programs; see the cost section.
| Program | Credential | Length | Campuses | Sample total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio | Diploma (44 credits) | 12 months | Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Nashville; New York (not enrolling) | $27,134 (Nashville) |
| Audio | AAS (64 credits) | 16 months; 19 at Atlanta | Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Nashville | $38,659 (Nashville) |
| Audio | BAS completer (after an AAS) | 32 months full time | Nashville | Ask SAE |
| Audio Technology (also in Spanish at Miami) | Diploma (900 clock hours) | About 48 weeks | Miami; New York (not enrolling) | $26,520 (Miami) |
| Entertainment Business | Diploma (44 credits) | 12 months | Atlanta, Chicago | $27,515 (Chicago) |
| Entertainment Business | AAS (64 credits) | 16 months; 19 at Atlanta | Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville | $38,540 (Nashville) |
| Digital Content Creation | Diploma | 12 months | Nashville | $26,635 (Nashville) |
| Digital Content Creation | AAS | 16 months | Nashville | $38,540 (Nashville) |
| Digital Film | AAS (64 credits) | 19 months | Atlanta | $41,005 (Atlanta) |
None of these programs leads to a state licensing exam, and the catalogs build in no internship or externship. SAE runs on trimesters; a typical course has about seven sessions on campus, seven online, and one self-paced hour a week, though some audio courses are mostly on campus.
What the main programs cover
Audio diploma and AAS
The 44-credit diploma (40 audio credits plus 4 of career preparation) takes 12 months. Courses run from Principles of Sound and Music Theory through Studio Production, Signal Processing and Electronic Music Production to Studio Maintenance & A/V Tech, Live Sound & Lighting, Audio Post Production and Game Audio, with Career Preparation and an Introduction to Entertainment Business. The 64-credit AAS takes the same audio core and adds general education over 16 months (19 at Atlanta). Sessions are split between campus studios and online, though some audio courses are taught mostly on campus.
Bachelor of Applied Science in Audio (Nashville)
The BAS is a completer program for students who already hold SAE’s AAS in Audio or a comparable accredited associate degree; SAE lists it as 128 credits and 32 months of full-time study. Upper-level courses include Advanced Studio Production, Sound Design, Advanced Live Sound & Lighting, Advanced Audio Post, Audio Programming for Interactive Media, Mastering, Audio Scripting, Intermedia Composition and Advanced Game Audio, alongside eight general education courses. It ends with a capstone and an audio portfolio.
Audio Technology diploma (Miami)
Miami’s Audio Technology diploma is 900 clock hours over about 48 weeks, made up of four 225-hour courses (AT101 to AT104). It covers recording basics, digital audio workstations, multitrack session work, and then sound design, live sound and music production. Miami also teaches the program in Spanish as the Diploma en Tecnología de Audio. Graduates who go on to Miami’s AAS in Audio can apply for an alumni scholarship. New York’s catalog lists its 12-month audio diploma at 912 clock hours.
Entertainment Business
The 44-credit diploma (Atlanta, Chicago) takes 12 months and the 64-credit AAS (Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville) 16 months, or 19 at Atlanta. Courses include Introduction to Entertainment Business, Survey of the Entertainment Industry, Introduction to Entertainment Law, Media Production, Marketing & Social Media, Event Management & Touring, Entertainment Business Models, Web Design & Development, and Management & Entrepreneurship, ending with an Entertainment Business Project. The AAS adds general education. This is a business program for the music and media industries, not a recording program.
Digital Content Creation (Nashville)
The diploma takes 12 months and the AAS 16 months. Courses are Content Creation Fundamentals, Editing for Digital Platforms, Copywriting for Digital Media, Social Media Content Strategy, Digital Marketing Essentials, Digital Storytelling, Advanced Content Creation, Branding & Visual Identity, Client Communications, Project Management for Digital Media and Career Preparation. The AAS adds English Composition, Speech, College Math, Modern & Contemporary Art and Environmental Science, and ends with a capstone portfolio.
Digital Film AAS (Atlanta)
The AAS in Digital Film is taught only at Atlanta: 64 credits in 16 courses over 19 months, ending in a capstone project. SAE’s program page describes work in film production, mobile media, commercials and advertising, and film funding and distribution. SAE’s online program index also lists a bachelor’s in digital film, but the Atlanta catalog offers film only as an associate degree, so check before applying.
Cost and paying for it
SAE publishes a catalog for each campus. In the catalogs effective 3 August 2026 (New York: 4 August), total costs, including tuition, the technology package, technology fee and administrative fee, are:
| Program | Atlanta | Chicago | Nashville | Miami | New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio diploma | $28,674 | $28,014 | $27,134 | $26,694 | $26,360 |
| Audio Technology diploma | – | – | – | $26,520 | $26,360 |
| Audio AAS | $41,124 | $39,939 | $38,659 | $38,019 | – |
| Entertainment Business diploma | $28,175 | $27,515 | – | – | – |
| Entertainment Business AAS | $41,005 | $39,820 | $38,540 | – | – |
| Digital Content Creation diploma | – | – | $26,635 | – | – |
| Digital Content Creation AAS | – | – | $38,540 | – | – |
| Digital Film AAS | $41,005 | – | – | – | – |
Repeating a course costs $585 per credit at Chicago and $565 at Nashville. SAE’s program web pages show lower prices for some programs: the audio diploma at $24,200 (Nashville) to $25,858 (Miami), the AAS in Entertainment Business at $34,944 to $36,992, Digital Film at $36,992 and the Spanish Audio Technology diploma at $23,799. Ask which figure applies and check the total in your enrollment agreement.
SAE is eligible for federal student aid: Pell Grants, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Parent PLUS loans. It also offers private credit-based loans, payment plans and a net price calculator for each campus. Veterans can use the GI Bill; students submit a Certificate of Eligibility and DD214. SAE lists these scholarships:
| Scholarship | Amount | Who can apply |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Diploma in Audio Needs-Based | Up to $1,500 | Atlanta audio diploma students with financial need |
| Nashville Merit-Based | $500–$2,500 | Nashville AAS Audio students with at least a 2.0 GPA |
| Miami Alumni | Up to $5,000 | Miami Audio Technology diploma graduates entering the AAS in Audio |
| New York Need-Based | $500–$2,500 | New York Audio Technology students (campus not enrolling, Oct 2026) |
| High School Class of 2026 | $2,500 | 2026 high school graduates |
Admissions and schedule
SAE admits applicants who meet its requirements: age 17 or older, a high school diploma, GED or equivalent, a government photo ID, English proficiency, a score of at least 14 on the Wonderlic SLE-Q, and the Wonderlic Distance Learning Assessment. Domestic students must be US citizens or eligible non-citizens; some campuses, including Chicago and Nashville, accept international students on F-1 or M-1 visas. The BAS requires an SAE AAS in Audio or a comparable accredited associate degree.
Programs start about every two months, in January, March, May, July, September and November; 2026 associate and bachelor’s starts were 12 January, 9 March, 11 May, 6 July and 8 September, with diploma starts also on 2 November 2026 and 11 January 2027. Morning, afternoon and evening sessions are offered. Classes run Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. at Chicago and Nashville and 9 a.m. and 11:15 p.m. at Atlanta and Miami.
Accreditation, ACCSC warnings and graduation rates
All SAE campuses in the US are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC); no programmatic accreditation is listed. Each is also authorized in its state: the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Georgia’s Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Florida’s Commission for Independent Education and the New York State Education Department’s Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision.
ACCSC placed the Atlanta campus on Warning on 24 February 2026 and the Chicago campus on Warning on 11 September 2026. Both warnings cite ACCSC’s student achievement standard, meaning graduation and employment rates; the notices don’t give the rates.
SAE’s own outcomes page reports ACCSC rates for students who started associate and bachelor’s programs between April 2022 and March 2023 and diplomas between October 2022 and September 2023. Graduation rates range from 33% to 69%:
- Audio diploma: 38% graduated at Nashville (185 students), 47% at Atlanta (187), 58% at Chicago (131) and 59% at New York (368); employment rates were 49% at Chicago and 71–74% elsewhere.
- Audio AAS: 46% graduated at Atlanta, 62% at Nashville and 65% at Chicago, with employment rates of 58–70%.
- Miami Audio Technology diploma: 69% graduated (140 students) and 80% were reported employed.
- Nashville BAS in Audio: 55% graduated (24 students); 73% employed.
- Entertainment Business: 36–42% graduated in the AAS at Nashville and Atlanta, and 33% in Atlanta’s diploma (17 students). Chicago’s cohorts were small (7 students each) and reported 0% employment.
Before you enroll
- Two of the five campuses, Atlanta and Chicago, are on ACCSC Warning over graduation and employment rates. Ask the campus what it is doing about it and what happens to your program if the accreditor takes further action.
- Fewer than half of the students in several programs graduated, including the audio diploma at Nashville (38%) and Atlanta (47%) and Entertainment Business at Nashville (36%).
- Catalog totals ($26,360 to $41,124) are higher than the prices SAE’s program pages show for some programs. Confirm the full cost in writing.
- New York’s campus page said in October 2026 that it is not accepting applications. Check with SAE before planning to study there.
- Older listings still show programs in animation, game design and graphic design, and some leftover SAE web pages still show Emeryville (SAE Expression College) and its animation and game art degrees. None of these is offered at any SAE campus in the US.
- SAE provides no housing; students arrange their own.
Career help
SAE offers career services for life to graduates, with one-to-one advising, resume and portfolio help, the Portfolium portfolio platform, and regular workshops and job fairs. SAE names Apple, Universal Audio and iZotope among past hiring partners. There is no built-in internship; SAE lists internships as something career services can help with.
What students say
We found no review platform with 25 or more reviews of SAE’s US campuses (October 2026), so we don’t summarize reviews. Niche’s Nashville page has 6 reviews, and Trustpilot and GradReports have no US SAE pages.
Sources
SAE accreditation and regulatory information · SAE campus catalogs · SAE campus performance outcomes · SAE consumer disclosures · SAE financial aid · SAE New York campus page · Wikipedia: SAE Institute
Programs & Courses
Audio
- Bachelor of Applied Science in Audio (Nashville)
- Associate of Applied Science in Audio
- Diploma in Audio
- Diploma in Audio Technology (Miami, New York)
- Diploma en Tecnología de Audio (Spanish, Miami)
Entertainment Business
- Associate of Applied Science in Entertainment Business
- Diploma in Entertainment Business (Atlanta, Chicago)
Digital Content Creation
- Associate of Applied Science in Digital Content Creation (Nashville)
- Diploma in Digital Content Creation (Nashville)
Film
- Associate of Applied Science in Digital Film (Atlanta)
Campus Locations
Atlanta, GA 215 Peachtree St NE, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30303
Chicago, IL 820 N. Orleans St, Suite 125, Chicago, IL 60610
North Miami Beach, FL 16051 W. Dixie Hwy, Suite 200, North Miami Beach, FL 33160
New York, NY 218 W. 18th St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011
Nashville, TN 7 Music Circle North, Nashville, TN 37203