School has best graphic design program

Was this layout designed by a master graphic design student? You decide. Here are the 20 top graphic design programs. Included with each entry is the school's location, information about the school, its acceptance rate, and the degrees offered. All acceptance rates are for fall unless otherwise noted. I've linked to our admissions requirements pages for all of these schools, but these pages are mostly focused on GPA and test scores.

Keep in mind that when applying to a graphic design program, a strong portfolio of your past creative work will likely be more important than grades or GPA. These are programs with high name recognition, consistently high rankings, and notable faculty and alumni. Alumni have also received a number of MacArthur "genius" grants. If you attend RISD, you can expect well-funded programs and faculty in the very top of their disciplines.

It's unsurprising, then, that RISD was consistently at the top of school rankings for graphic design. It's one of the most competitive schools on this list and has a strongly established, well-known graphic design program.

Students apply to RISD overall and do not select a major until midway through their first year of study. Students graduate with a BFA degree. Parsons is another school with a lot of name recognition and top-notch faculty, and they consistently appear at the top of best-program rankings. The school was named the best design school in the United States by QS World University Rankings in and, in , the third-best in the world, largely in recognition of its interdisciplinary focus on the nuts-and-bolts technical and the design-functional.

The school's four-year BFA program in Communication Design a graphic design equivalent has placed alumni at Google, Facebook, and New York Magazine, and has also produced a healthy crop of entrepreneurs and freelancers.

They are invested in a philosophy of "poetic pragmatism," in which artistic vision is married with practical skills. Many faculty are working professionals in their fields who teach part-time. The Pratt Institute offers a BFA in Communications Design—an interdisciplinary program focusing on advertising, illustration, and graphic design you choose to focus on one of the three areas.

Alumni praise the program for preparing them for careers in their fields and for its innovative and boundary-pushing focus. These programs are well-resourced and well-known in the industry. Many offer their own unique spin on graphic design or have a special focus not found at many other institutions. The ArtCenter's undergraduate program in graphic design gives extensive training in both old and new media, creating well-rounded practitioners with skills spanning all areas of graphic design as a discipline.

The ArtCenter encourages an experimental and socially conscious approach. The school also offers a great return-on-investment, with alumni making higher salaries than graduates from peer institutions. Graduates end up in a variety of industries and fields; alumni currently work for many diverse companies, such as Nike and NASA.

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We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Additionally, it has a unique interdisciplinary BFA program in humanistic studies, allowing you to combine your graphic design education with an interdisciplinary focus on the liberal arts and humanities.

If you dream of attending an art school founded by Walt Disney, CalArts is for you. Disney envisioned CalArts as a place where students from all artistic disciplines could develop in a collaborative, workshop-centered environment.

Many alumni go on to work for film, television, and major tech companies. If Hollywood's calling you, CalArts could be a great choice! You might be surprised to see a big research university known for its engineering program on a graphic design list. But don't be! Carnegie Mellon has an innovative approach to the study and craft of graphic design; alumni praise the program's integration of the artistic points of design with advanced technologies.

It also offers an interdisciplinary degree in design combined with another course of study of a student's choice, which should be very appealing to students with multiple interests. Finally, it's a great choice if you want an art-school education but a big research university experience. Overall, Carnegie Mellon provides a cutting-edge, strong foundation for design careers. The School of Visual Arts offers a BFA in Graphic Design, with the option to specialize in graphic design in fields like package design, website design, book jacket design, and so on.

Alumni have praised the school's amazing networking opportunities —SVA has a robust internship program, holds professional-level exhibitions of student work, and sends compilations of graduating student work to industry giants every year in the Senior Library.

Savannah College of Art and Design is unusually large for an art school, with over 11, students enrolled. Overall, SCAD is a solid design school that offers lots of opportunities for motivated students. This is another great choice if you want the art-school chops with the big university experience: VCU is a large public university with more than 30, students. This section includes some big-name art schools whose graphic design programs aren't quite as well established as their other programs as well as some up-and-coming graphic design programs that are just now gaining steam.

The BFA program in graphic design at Otis is located in the Communication Design department, which also houses programs in illustration and advertising design. Otis primarily prepares its graduates to work in the professional sphere; past graphic design graduates have worked for Apple, Anthropologie, Conde Nast, Disney, Interscope Records, Mattel, Sony, and Target.

It's a good choice for students who'd like to do design work for major companies and are interested in some of the more commercial aspects of graphic design. If you're looking to combine the experience of attending a large NCAA division-1 school with a high-quality design program and want to have a chance to take courses in many different disciplines, the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning might be a good fit for you!

Many students go on to work in the healthcare industry, for governments, or for NGOs. So if you're interested in design in those fields, this school is an excellent choice.

It also has a robust internship program for fourth-year students that guarantees you'll graduate with hands-on, real-world professional experience.

The ranking compared over 1, colleges. Otis has also been named among the best value schools for art and design in the nation. This public research university located in Richmond, Virginia was founded in and is now home to over 31, students. In fact, the arts program at VCU is so well-received that the university also has a campus in Qatar that focuses on arts programs. The graduate program in design at VCU focuses on the philosophical, communicative, and aesthetic relationships of visual problem solving.

Curriculum requirements may include:. All graduate students must complete a total of 60 credit hours to earn their degree. Prospective students should note that 36 undergraduate credit hours in studio art, including a minimum of 20 credit hours in visual communications or a related field, is required for admission into this program. Founded in , the California College of the Arts is an art, design, architecture, and writing school located in Oakland, CA. With just under 2, full-time students enrolled, this college offers just 22 undergraduate and 12 graduate programs.

The unique thing about this program is that the school combines three concentrations: graphic design, industrial design, and interaction design. This collaborative environment allows students to connect, create, and innovate. The two-year curriculum includes:. All graduate students will complete a thesis prior to graduation as well.

This MFA program is best suited for those who already have a background in graphic design. The three-year program includes a foundation year that focuses on prototyping, design process, tools, and technology. It was also ranked as having one of the best MFA programs in the nation by U. Stephens in The student body represents over countries, and all folks pay the same tuition rate, including U.

This program requires graduate students to complete 36 units to earn their degree. Graduates pursuing an MFA must successfully complete a final thesis project. The Academy of Art University holds over 70 student and alumni art shows and gallery exhibitions in San Francisco each year. The Academy is also the first art university that has been invited to showcase student work at New York Fashion Week biannually.

This public research university located in Chicago, Illinois is home to mascot Sparky D. Dragon and just over 29, students. Founded in , there are now more than student clubs and organizations, including fraternities and sororities, for students to get involved in.

What makes this program so unique is its international component. All Chicago-based students will participate in the Basel School of Design summer workshops located in Basel, Switzerland! Other degree requirements may include:. All students must complete a minimum of at least 64 semester hours, including at least 16 hours of graduate-level electives. Helping you prepare and gain the most out of your educational experience.

A master's degree in healthcare administration can lead to new and exciting career opportunities. Here, we list the best program options. A law degree can increase earning potential and career opportunities. Here, we list the best online programs available. According to the , 7,, students enrolled in at least one distance education course at degree-granting postsecondary institutions in fall The year is an ideal time to pursue Are you ready to find your fit? What kind of graphic design degree should you get?

Collapse All Expand All. Notables Prospective students should note that this is an extremely competitive program. Program Features Students in this program may choose between a two-year track or a three-year track. Students in the three-year track can expect courses like: Graduate Form Graduate Typography History of Graphic Design No matter which track you choose, you will be expected to complete a thesis prior to earning your degree.

Notables The M. Rather than traditional coursework, your graduate experience will include: 3-credit seminar each semester 9-credit studio each semester 3-credit elective Final project research course Studio topics will vary by semester and often includes speakers and field trips.

Program Features If you already have an undergraduate degree in graphic design, then you will be good to go for CalArts two-year MFA program. Depending on your chosen program, required courses may include: Typographics Visual Literacy Graphic Design Theory Historical Survey of Graphic Design Students can choose from a variety of electives as well, including type design, web design, typography, motion graphics, design theory and design history.

Program Features Led by a director who has a strong background in education and professional work, this program is comprehensive and hands-on. Overview Located in the heart of Boston and founded in , this private research university is home to over 32, students from more than countries.

Program Features This two-year, credit M. Overview Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university that was founded in by American industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Program Features All students in this program will take part in stimulating seminars, studios, and design labs. Notables Carnegie Mellon was placed at 5 in U. Program Features Graduate students in this program at SCAD must complete at least 90 hours of study to earn their degree.

Notables The Savannah College of Art and Design is consistently ranked among the top art schools in the nation. Overview Located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, the Cranbrook Academy of Art was founded in and is now home to just graduate students and ten artists-in-residence.

Here are some of the steps that will help you get the hang of some of the basic functions of a graphic design software work. For instance, you are using Adobe Photoshop to create graphics.

Next, you can see what the camera raw-panel actually looks like in Photoshop. Here, you can select the crop tool available in the sidebar to resize your design. This window will display the project you are working on. It may have multiple tabs depending on the number of projects you are working on simultaneously. Have a look at the workspace from Adobe Photoshop. Here is the list of tool icons that you must know by heart to use any graphic design platform efficiently.

Playing with layers at the right spot will help in creating visually appealing designs. You can also lock the layers to avoid editing them accidentally. Users can leverage a lot of tools to create simple images into stunning visuals that can be used as high-resolution wallpapers. Further Reading on AdamEnfroy. With over , monthly readers , my mission is to teach the next generation of online entrepreneurs how to scale at startup speed. Disclosure: I may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links below at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan.

You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy. Thank you for the above information. It sounds helpful for the people who work or are willing to work as a Graphic Designer. Detailed post. Hi Adam loved reading your post. I have been using Corel draw from the beginning of my career and in my opinion it is one of the best toll for every graphic designer.

Thanks for sharing this list. Hi Adam, I just want to tell you that this article helped me tremendously. When looking for a program that I could afford that would help get my small business off to a Professional quality start, I found this Review. Thank you very much for your well done job. Should I need to Review or ask questions in the future, you will be my first and probably only stop. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. Stunning design that speaks to an audience is paramount for brands of all sizes. This article will cover the top 11 options ranked in order of quality.