SAIC is proud that nationally reported statistics reflect that our campus is one of the safest colleges among our art and design college peers, even those located in smaller, less urban locations.
• SAIC is located in the heart of the city’s bustling tourist and financial district, walking distance from destination shopping at our famous “Magnificent Mile.”
• Chicago is comprised of more than 100 neighborhoods that are spread across 234 square miles.
• Within a six-block radius of our campus there are more than 100,000 college students, the second most populated college neighborhood in the US.
• SAIC is home to nearly 3,500 students from across the US and from more than 80 countries throughout the world.
Chicago is our campus. We feed Chicago’s creative energy, and the city feeds ours.
Home to renowned cultural institutions, parks, shopping districts, gallery districts, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Chicago provides a comprehensive learning experience for our students.
As a member of our community, we want you to know that student safety is our top priority. So, we wanted to take this opportunity to share some facts about our city, our neighborhood, and SAIC.
Whether Chicago is your backyard, or you are coming from across the US or around the globe, we provide tools and resources for secure living:
• All SAIC buildings have controlled access via ID and Campus Security staff stationed at the entrances.
• Our residence halls, minutes away from classes, have controlled entry and 24-hour security staff.
• Incoming students receive a safety orientation on navigating the city, its neighborhoods, and public transportation.
• SafeRide, SAIC’s on-demand, free ride-sharing service provides evening and overnight transportation between campus buildings and designated transportation stops during fall and spring semesters.
• Walking campus escorts are available 24/7 to escort students between campus buildings.
“My first experience of Chicago was coming to SAIC for an interview. Just that ride into the city—it was cold and snowing. I was coming into the Loop and seeing the lake … It was just so magical. I remember thinking, if I could love this in the dead of winter, then I could love it all the time.”
MCKENZIE THOMPSON (MFA)
Millennium Park, a 25-acre, 21st-century greenspace buzzing with concerts, public art, picnickers, ice-skaters (winter CAN be fun), and star gazers is within steps of our campus and we claim it as our quad.
We invite you and your family to join us for a campus tour to experience our state-of-the-art facilities and resources and see for yourself where we live.
While you are here, walk our neighborhood:
• Visit our museum, the Art Institute of Chicago
• Check out the Tiffany stained glass dome at our Cultural Center
• Enjoy a free concert at the Pritzker Music Pavilion in Millennium Park
• Scale the outdoor climbing wall in Maggie Daley Park
• Shop. Eat. Walk. Repeat.
