<p>Is Academy of Art University considered a diploma mill kind of school? Is it legit? I like some of its programs and its location…</p>
<p>Reviews are less than stellar</p>
<p>[Academy</a> of Art University - SOMA - San Francisco, CA](<a href=“http://www.yelp.com/biz/academy-of-art-university-san-francisco-2]Academy”>http://www.yelp.com/biz/academy-of-art-university-san-francisco-2)</p>
<p>Any other thoughts? :)</p>
<p>From what I have heard this is not a great school and is quite expensive for what you get.</p>
<p>They have gotten into trouble with the city of San Francisco for buying up property and ignoring the zoning or real estate laws: [Critics</a> Wonder Why Potential S.F. Lawsuit Vs. Academy of Art Didn’t Come Years Ago - San Francisco News - The Snitch](<a href=“http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/01/academy_of_art_lawsuit.php]Critics”>http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/01/academy_of_art_lawsuit.php) . Since real estate in San Francisco is so expensive (and keeps getting more expensive) they buy a lot of buildings which I’m sure are good investments for them.</p>
<p>However, I’m not sure how much all their real estate buy-ups really contribute to having a quality education.</p>
<p>They admit a very high percentage of applicants (close to 100%) so they apparently are not very selective.</p>
<p>San Francisco is a nice city, but I think you’d be able to find a better school than this one such as Parsons in NYC.</p>