From a professional technical-career college known as The Colorado Institute of Art to our current The Art Institute of Colorado, we’re proud to celebrate more than 50 years of helping creative people learn the skills they need to become a success in their chosen field.

Highlights
1952: The Colorado Institute of Art opens.

1957: The first group of approximately 15 students graduates from the Commercial Art program.

1960: John Jellico, former Assistant Director of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and founder of The Colorado Institute of Art’s Commercial Art program, is among a group that buys the school.

1975: Education Management Corporation (EDMC), of Pittsburgh, purchases the school.

1977: The Art Institute of Colorado earns accreditation from the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools (NATTS)—which subsequently changes its name to the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT)...That same year, the school improves its facilities in
a move from 16 W. 13th Avenue to 200 E. 9th Avenue.

1981: The Art Institute of Colorado is granted authority by the Colorado State Board to award an Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) degree.

1991: The school adds a curriculum of general-education classes to all programs, and is granted the authority to award the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree.

1994: Culinary Arts is added to the school’s degree program offerings.

1996: The Art Institute of Colorado begins offering Bachelor of Arts degrees.

2000: The school relocates to its current location, a fully renovated, 100,000-squarefoot facility at 1200 Lincoln Street. The Industrial Design program remains at the 300 E. 9th Avenue facility, and the Culinary Arts program is located at 675 S. Broadway.

2002: The Art Institute of Colorado celebrates 50 years of training creative professionals and opens The Towers, a completely redesigned student housing facility for up to 300 students.

2004: The Interior Design Bachelor of Arts program receives a six year grant of accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, formerly known as the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER).