2025 Best Graphic Design Schools in California
10
Colleges in California
1,414
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.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Graphic Design Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,414 degrees in graphic design to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Graphic Design School
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
The graphic design school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Graphic Design Schools in California.
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 California
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.
10 Top California Schools in Graphic Design
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In CA
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising - Los Angeles is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in graphic design. Located in the city of Los Angeles, FIDM Los Angeles is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
There were roughly 12 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
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In CA
106
Graphic Design Degrees Awarded
Art Center College of Design is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in graphic design. Art Center College of Design is a small private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena.
There were approximately 106 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Art Center College of Design in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in graphic design from Art Center College of Design
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Program Name
Translate your creative ideas through concept, design and digital media with a bachelor's in graphic design online from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Every student who is interested in graphic design has to take a look at Chapman University. Located in the city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #172 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Chapman is a great university overall.
There were roughly 29 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in graphic design from Chapman University
Any student who is interested in graphic design has to check out California Institute of the Arts. CalArts is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Valencia.
There were about 15 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at CalArts in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in graphic design from California Institute of the Arts
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In CA
LCAD is a small private not-for-profit college located in the rural area of Laguna Beach.
There were about 24 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at LCAD in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in graphic design from Laguna College of Art and Design
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
105
Graphic Design Degrees Awarded
Located in the large suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 60th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 105 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly Pomona in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in graphic design from California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In CA
33
Graphic Design Degrees Awarded
Sac State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Sacramento. A Best Colleges rank of #267 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Sac State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 33 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in graphic design from California State University - Sacramento
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts - Web Design
Program Name
Gain a solid grounding in your online web design classes and exercise your creative muscle with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in Graphic Design & Media Arts - Web Design from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In CA
50
Graphic Design Degrees Awarded
Cal Baptist is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Riverside. This university ranks 66th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 50 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Cal Baptist in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in graphic design from California Baptist University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In CA
32
Graphic Design Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 81st out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 32 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at Fresno State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in graphic design from California State University - Fresno
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In CA
52
Graphic Design Degrees Awarded
LA Film School is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the large city of Hollywood.
There were approximately 52 graphic design students who graduated with this degree at LA Film School in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in graphic design from Los Angeles Film School
