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2023 Best Graphic Design Schools

192 Colleges in the United States
8,710 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in graphic design, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #107 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2023 ranking, College Factual looked at 192 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for graphic design students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 8,710 degrees in graphic design to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Graphic Design School

Best Graphic Design Schools Your choice of graphic design school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Graphic Design School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Graphic Design Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Graphic Design
Bachelor's Degrees in Graphic Design
Master's Degrees in Graphic Design

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Graphic Design Schools list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Graphic Design in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of graphic design degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Graphic Design

1
New School University crest
The New School
New York, NY
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In NY
40 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

The New School is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in graphic design. Located in the large city of New York, New School University is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. This school ranks 21st out of 143 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 40 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at New School University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from The New School

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NY
43 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Fashion Institute of Technology is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in graphic design. FIT SUNY is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means FIT SUNY is a great school overall.

There were approximately 43 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at FIT SUNY in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Fashion Institute of Technology

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IA
86 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Iowa State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in graphic design. Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Ames. A Best Colleges rank of #89 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 86 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Iowa State University

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In FL
58 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

University of Florida is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in graphic design. UF is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville. A Best Colleges rank of #65 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means UF is a great university overall.

There were approximately 58 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from University of Florida

5
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In PA

Drexel is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. This university ranks 12th out of 117 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 30 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Drexel in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Drexel University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NY
74 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Pratt Institute is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Brooklyn.

There were about 74 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Pratt Institute in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Pratt Institute - Main

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MN
75 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the large city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #60 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were approximately 75 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IL
51 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 51 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In TX
27.8% Growth in Graduates

TCU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Fort Worth. A Best Colleges rank of #96 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 18 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Texas Christian University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MD
95 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

MICA is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Baltimore.

There were about 95 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at MICA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Maryland Institute College of Art

11
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In UT
40.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 14 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were about 22 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Brigham Young University - Provo

12
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In AZ
45 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the medium-sized city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were approximately 45 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Arizona State University - Tempe

13
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In CA

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

There were roughly 25 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at FIDM Los Angeles in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles

14
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NY
43 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Rochester, RIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 16th out of 143 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 43 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at RIT in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Rochester Institute of Technology

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In MI
40.0% Growth in Graduates

CCS is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Detroit.

There were roughly 25 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at CCS in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from College for Creative Studies

16
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
15th Most Popular In CA

Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 26th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 19 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from San Jose State University

17
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MA
51 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were about 51 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Boston University

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MA
49 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #81 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 49 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Northeastern University

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In WI
42 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Located in the distant town of Menomonie, UW - Stout is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 9th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 42 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at UW - Stout in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from University of Wisconsin - Stout

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In VA
56 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

VCU is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Richmond. This university ranks 8th out of 65 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 56 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Virginia Commonwealth University

21
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MI
38 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #88 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 38 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Michigan State University

22
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IL
69 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the large city of Chicago. This college ranks 13th out of 87 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 69 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Columbia College Chicago

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In OH

Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 15 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Miami University - Oxford

24
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NC
46 Graphic Design Degrees Awarded

Appalachian State is a very large public university located in the distant town of Boone. This university ranks 8th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 46 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from Appalachian State University

25
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NC

Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #95 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 23 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in graphic design from North Carolina State University

Rest of the Top Best Graphic Design Schools

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26
27
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
28

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Graphic Design students that almost earned our Best Graphic Design Schools award.

Rank College Location
29 Yale University New Haven, CT
30 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
31 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
32 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
33 Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA
34 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
35 Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota, FL
36 Bradley University Peoria, IL
37 DePaul University Chicago, IL
38 Laguna College of Art and Design Laguna Beach, CA

Graphic Design by Region

View the Best Graphic Design Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 9 majors within the Design & Applied Arts area of study, Graphic Design has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Graphic Design

Related Major Annual Graduates
Interior Design 5,840
Visual Communications 5,765
Commercial & Advertising Art 3,597
Fashion Design 3,103
Game & Interactive Media Design 2,692
Illustration 2,538
Industrial Design 1,792
Other Design & Applied Arts 1,336
Commercial Photography 928

View All Graphic Design Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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