Best Colleges for Graphic Design Majors in 2024

Best Colleges for Graphic Design Majors in 2024 – Check Top #20 Colleges in USA

Are you looking for the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US? This article will carefully describe in detail the ten top graphic design degree schools in the US.

To become a professional graphic designer, you’ll need a solid educational background that will prepare you and allow you to amass experience and build connections.

A Graphic design school is where you can get a BA or BFA in graphic design. Additionally, it provides a thrilling environment to enable you to launch your career.

Graphic design schools could be art schools, tech schools, or departments within large universities.

Below are the top ten best schools for graphic design in the US ranked in terms of prestige, student satisfaction, return on investment, and alumni valuation of the program.

Table of Contents

#1. Parsons School of Design (The New School)

Parsons School of Design is located in Manhattan, New York, and is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US.

In 2022, QS World University Rankings named it the best design school in the United States and the third-best in the world.

The school offers a four-year BFA program in Communication Design which has produced alumni at New York Magazines, Google, Facebook, and a good list of freelancers and entrepreneurs.

Acceptance Rate: 57%

#2. Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

RISD is situated in Providence, Rhode Island, and is known as the Harvard of art schools in terms of prestige and famous alumni (notable alums include the founders of Airbnb and animator Seth MacFarlane).

RISD offers a BFA program in Graphic Design. The Department of Graphic Design is amongst the largest undergraduate departments at RISD, boasting 165 students.

Acceptance Rate: 20%

#3. ArtCenter College of Design

The ArtCenter’s College of Design is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US, which offers an undergraduate program in graphic design.

The Graphic Design program here covers extensive training in old and new media to produce holistic skilled individuals capable of navigating the different areas of graphic design as a discipline.

The colleges emphasize experimental and socially-conscious approaches to learning.

The school offers a good return on investment, which is seen in the lives of the alumni, who make higher salaries than most graduates from peer institutions. The school is situated in Pasadena, California.

Acceptance Rate: 60%

#4. The Pratt Institute

The Pratt Institute is a prestigious school situated at the historic campus in Brooklyn, New York.

It is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US that offer a BFA program in Communications Design—an interdisciplinary program focusing on graphic design, advertising, and illustration (you have to choose one area of focus from these three).

The institute is praised by the alumni for its boundary-breaking and innovative focus.

Acceptance Rate: 57%

#5. Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) — Baltimore, Maryland

MICA is an urban campus situated in Baltimore, Maryland. MICA is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US that offer a craft-focused BFA program in Graphic Design.

The program aims at developing your creativity. Also, it aims at spicing your design skill with technology.

Also, it offers an interdisciplinary BFA program in humanistic studies, where you can combine your graphic design program with an interdisciplinary focus on humanities and liberal arts.

Acceptance Rate: 64%

#6. California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)

If you decide to launch a career in Hollywood as a graphic designer, CalArts is the best place to start.

CalArts is an art institute founded by the famous Walt Disney, situated in Valencia, Santa Clarita, California.

CalArts offers a BFA Graphic Design program in a collaborative, workshop-focused environment. However, the program admits few numbers of students annually, ranging from 12-20.

Acceptance Rate: 25%

#7. School of Visual Arts

The School of Visual Arts, located in Manhattan, New York is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US.

The SVA offers a BFA in Graphic Design, where you can specialize in any design field, such as website design, package design, book jacket design, etc.

Also, the school has been praised for its amazing networking opportunities. SVA offers a robust internship program that sends the works of graduating students to industry giants in the Senior Library annually. Also, it hosts exhibitions of student work carried out on a professional level.

If your focus is to be commercially marketable, SVA is the best place to study. However, SVA isn’t a good choice if you are interested in the practice of design on a theoretical or artistic level.

Acceptance Rate: 71%

#8. Carnegie Mellon School of Design

Carnegie Mellon School of Design is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US that adopt an innovative approach to the study of graphic design.

Alumni have applauded the school for the integration of its design program with advanced technologies.

The Carnegie Mellon School of Design offers a BDes, or Bachelor of Design, instead of a BFA. The program is interdisciplinary and combines the study of design with another course of study of your choice.

Carnegie Mellon School of Design doesn’t just offer art-school education but an extensive research university experience, which gives you the strong foundation you need for your design.

Acceptance Rate: 17%

#9. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

Savannah College of Art and Design, situated in Savannah, Georgia is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US.

It offers a BFA in Graphic Design and a BA in Visual Communication (focusing on graphic design). Here the Professors are embodied with industry experience, and you get the opportunity to study abroad at SCAD’s global campuses in Lacoste, France, or Hong Kong.

Acceptance Rate: 96%

#10. Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, situated in Richmond, Virginia is an art school that gives the big university experience:

Basically, VCU is a large public university offering a BFA in Graphic Design. However, you must complete the “Art Foundation” sequence before you can be accepted into a graphic design major.

Acceptance Rate: 82%

#11. Yale University School of Art

Are you looking for an Ivy League education in graphic design? Then Yale is the school for you. Yale offers a BA in Art, where you can specialize in graphic design.

The graphic design program at Yale is focused on the theory and craft of design and is best if your interests are artistic and academic. Yale isn’t suitable for you if your interests are commercial or technical.

Acceptance Rate: 6.3% (whole university)

#12. Otis College of Art and Design

Otis College of Art and Design, located in Los Angeles, CA is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US.

It offers a BFA program in Communication Design focusing on graphic design that covers programs on advertising design and illustration. Otis prepares its students for the professional sphere.

Acceptance Rate: 78%

#13. College for Creative Studies

The College for Creative Studies is situated in Detroit, Michigan. It offers a BFA in Graphic Design with a focus on experience design that includes immersive or multimedia design experiences. Also, the college focuses on community engagements to allow you to build your portfolio.

Acceptance Rate: 44%

#14. School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)

School of the Art Institute is one of the best colleges for graphic design majors in the US. It offers a BFA in Visual Communication Design, focusing on virtual and physical design mediums.

An interesting part of this college is that the department facilitates student internships to allow them to gather real-life experiences. Additionally, the department host annual lectures where top designers in the field are invited to teach.

Acceptance Rate: 57%

#15. University of Cincinnati College of Design,Architecture, Art, and Planning

The University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning is a good choice if you want to graduate and work for NGOs, the government, and the healthcare industry.

The university offers a BS in Communication Design, where you can major in graphic design.

Acceptance Rate: 77% (whole university)

#16. Ringling College of Art and Design

Ringling College of Art and Design is located in Sarasota, FL, and offers a BFA in GraphicDesign.Theprogram aims to develop the students into “visual storytellers.” Also, Ringling provides students with opportunities to study in Europe during their time in school.

Acceptance Rate: 63.9%

#17. California College of the Arts (CCA) — Oakland, CA

CCA is an amazing college that offers BFA in Graphic Design that prepares students for multiple design disciplines. Here, you have the opportunity to go for a robust internship program as a fourth-year student that ensures you get real-world professional experience before graduating.

Also, CCA focuses on socially conscious design and social justice-oriented practice allowing students to be socially conscious and get real-time professional experience and a touch of different design disciplines.

Acceptance Rate: 73%

#18. University of the Arts (UArts)

The University of the Arts, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania offers a BFA program in Graphic Design that trains students in both old and new media.

The department hosts an annual Spring Workshop where renowned designers and guests are invited to the faculty to teach design topics.

This helps to prepare the students to be practical and commercial rather than theoretical and artistic.

Acceptance Rate: 73%

#19. Academy of Art University

Academy of Art University offers a BFA in Graphic Design that focuses on the “intersection between art and commerce.” Also, it aims at creative and marketing competencies and professional preparedness.

Overall, the Academy of Art University is concerned with providing you with actionable workforce skills and connections.

Acceptance Rate: 100% (open admissions)

#20. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

If you are looking for an intersection between tech and design, then RIT is the school to go to. GIT offers a BFA in graphic design that is interdisciplinary in scope.

As a graphic designer student, you can collaborate with other departments on projects, especially those in the engineering and technical departments.

Acceptance Rate: 70.7%

There are many types of colleges for graphics design majors in the US/ Graphic design programs are offered in art schools, tech schools, large public universities, and the Ivy League.

With the above-listed colleges, you will find the one that suits you the most.

If you have any questions about the Best Colleges for Graphic Design Majors in 2024, kindly let us know via the comment section below.