Our design colleges ranking report includes the “best of the best” for design education in America. Ranking metrics include academic quality, student satisfaction, graduation rate, overall value and post-graduate career success.
Our Methodology
See also:
Top 100 Colleges and Universities – Top 100 Most Affordable Universities – Top 100 Most Affordable Community Colleges – Top 100 Highest Acceptance – Top 100 Lowest Acceptance – Top Colleges by Major
| Rank | School Name | Accept. Rate1 | Grad. Rate2 | Emp. Rate 2 years3 | Mid-Career Salary4 | Net Price (4-year)5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI | 33% | 87% | 88% | $47,300 | $140 232 |
 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | 25% | 88% | 91% | $72,000 | $134 680 |
 | Washington University in St. Louis Saint Louis, MO | 17% | 95% | 93% | $62,300 | $133 496 |
 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | 18% | 91% | 92% | $66,100 | $124 756 |
 | University of California – Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 19% | 91% | 87% | $59,200 | $50 040 |
 | Otis College of Art & Design Los Angeles, CA | 66% | 63% | 87% | $42,000 | $147 548 |
 | Pratt Institute Brooklyn, NY | 53% | 64% | 87% | $38,200 | $160 500 |
 | Boston University Boston, MA | 35% | 85% | 93% | $60,600 | $130 156 |
 | California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA | 64% | 54% | 85% | $35,700 | $135 052 |
 | College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI | 46% | 62% | 90% | $40,600 | $137 676 |
 | University of Wisconsin Madison, WI | 57% | 84% | 94% | $51,000 | $64 524 |
 | Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA | 81% | 67% | 84% | $51,700 | $172 444 |
 | Ohio State University Columbus, OH | 53% | 84% | 93% | $42,600 | $72 860 |
 | Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA | 33% | 82% | 93% | $74,000 | $48 748 |
 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY | 57% | 63% | 93% | $56,900 | $111 692 |
 | Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA | 73% | 83% | 96% | $57,900 | $73 592 |
 | California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA | 24% | 70% | 85% | $32,500 | $173 828 |
 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | 47% | 79% | 76% | $57,400 | $49 340 |
 | Penn State University Park, PA | 50% | 86% | 94% | $47,500 | $96 880 |
 | School of Visual Arts New York, NY | 77% | 00% | 00% | $40,100 | $168 828 |
 | Northeastern University Boston, MA | 32% | 82% | 95% | $60,100 | $122 184 |
 | Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY | 44% | 74% | 88% | $44,100 | $40 864 |
 | University of Texas – Austin Austin, TX | 40% | 81% | 93% | $52,800 | $67 328 |
 | Savannah College of Art & Design Savannah, GA | 67% | 65% | 90% | $35,400 | $151 784 |
 | University of Washington Seattle, WA | 55% | 84% | 90% | $52,100 | $41 496 |
 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | 59% | 84% | 94% | $56,600 | $64 996 |
 | University of Notre Dame South Bend, IN | 21% | 96% | 94% | $69,400 | $108 100 |
 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | 76% | 67% | 93% | $61,100 | $148 976 |
 | Purdue University West Lafayette, IN | 59% | 73% | 94% | $52,600 | $52 324 |
 | Massachusetts College of Art & Design Boston, MA | 73% | 70% | 91% | $34,000 | $87 192 |
 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 46% | 88% | 92% | $51,300 | $59 144 |
 | Maryland Institute of College of Art Baltimore, MD | 54% | 72% | 89% | $31,400 | $157 196 |
 | The New School New York, NY | 60% | 68% | 86% | $39,400 | $182 016 |
 | Indiana University – Bloomington Bloomington, IN | 76% | 78% | 94% | $45,300 | $46 292 |
 | North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC | 52% | 75% | 94% | $47,500/td> | $54 316 |
 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | 53% | 80% | 94% | $56,600 | $118 484 |
 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | 66% | 79% | 94% | $49,800 | $59 164 |
 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | 60% | 70% | 91% | $61,000 | $131 468 |
 | University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | 76% | 60% | 92% | $39,400 | $78 956 |
 | Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA | 100% | 31% | 82% | $36,100 | $115 508 |
 | DePaul University Chicago, IL | 70% | 71% | 91% | $50,900 | $119 024 |
 | Texas A&M University College Station, TX | 71% | 79% | 94% | $52,900 | $46 900 |
 | University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | 45% | 78% | 94% | $47,800/ | $62 356 |
 | Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Milwaukee, WI | 59% | 54% | 91% | $30,600 | $94 828 |
 | Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX | 49% | 75% | 94% | $49,100 | $124 348 |
 | Minneapolis College of Art & Design Minneapolis, MN | 64% | 64% | 92% | $31,400 | $103 304 |
 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA | 75% | 59% | 92% | $41,800 | $77 340 |
 | Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design Denver, CO | 100% | 48% | 89% | $28,100 | $127 764 |
 | Columbus College of Art & Design Columbus, OH | 89% | 56% | 89% | $32,800 | $103 780 |
 | Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI | 57% | 44% | 91% | $53,700 | $103 296 |
| 51 | Champlain College Burlington, VT | 64% | 57% | 94% | $40,400 | $132 692 |
| 52 | University of California – Irvine Irvine, CA | 37% | 86% | 87% | $55,800 | $48 288 |
| 53 | Woodbury University Burbank, CA | 56% | 42% | 89% | $45,600 | $97 896 |
| 54 | Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH | 67% | 65% | 92% | $32,700 | $129 816 |
| 55 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC | 63% | 70% | 93% | $36,600 | $46 032 |
| 56 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | 55% | 79% | 92% | $44,000 | $66 948 |
| 57 | Clemson University Clemson, SC | 52% | 82% | 94% | $49,400 | $67 196 |
| 58 | Auburn University Auburn, AL | 83% | 71% | 94% | $45,400 | $74 000 |
| 59 | Chapman University Orange, CA | 47% | 74% | 90% | $51,800 | 141 032 |
| 60 | University of North Carolina School of Arts Winston-Salem, NC | 43% | 59% | 92% | $30,500 | $47 836 |
| 61 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL | 100% | 55% | 89% | $34,100 | $123 456 |
| 62 | George Washington University Washington, DC | 44% | 79% | 91% | $64,500 | $131 304 |
| 63 | Cornish College of the Arts Seattle, WA | 86% | 50% | 87% | $29,900 | $132 324 |
| 64 | University of Advancing Technology Tempe, AZ | 83% | 31% | 88% | $42,900 | $112 180 |
| 65 | SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY | 42% | 74% | 92% | $46,000 | $55 000 |
| 66 | Ringling College of Art & Design Sarasota, FL | 85% | 90% | 66% | $32,800 | $180 720 |
| 67 | Becker College Worcester, MA | 62% | 31% | 92% | $35,800 | $119 916 |
| 68 | Saint Edward’s University Austin, TX | 78% | 67% | 91% | $44,700 | $87 840 |
| 69 | University of Delaware Newark, DE | 68% | 79% | 96% | $54,300 | $61 628 |
| 70 | Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City, MO | 60% | 53% | 92% | $25,800 | $112 392 |
| 71 | Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO | 80% | 65% | 92% | $44,300 | $58 044 |
| 72 | Philadelphia University Philadelphia, PA | 64% | 66% | 93% | $48,700 | $118 504 |
| 73 | University of California – Davis Davis, CA | 40% | 83% | 89% | $57,100 | $64 924 |
| 74 | The Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg Schaumburg, IL | 100% | 51% | 88% | $34,900 | $96 848 |
| 75 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL | 50% | 70% | 92% | $43,000 | $58 980 |
| 76 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | 78% | 63% | 92% | $46,400 | $65 848 |
| 77 | California State University – Long Beach Long Beach, CA | 35% | 65% | 90% | $46,900 | $30 688 |
| 78 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA | 22% | 50% | 87% | $36,300 | $93 468 |
| 79 | University of Oregon Eugene, OR | 75% | 69% | 90% | $41,600 | $56 716 |
| 80 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | 95% | 59% | 94% | $43,300 | $63 136 |
| 81 | University of Dayton Dayton, OH | 59% | 76% | 96% | $52,300 | $131 860 |
| 82 | Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY | 39% | 78% | 94% | $54,400 | $137 020 |
| 83 | Cedarville University Cedarville, OH | 00% | 00% | 00% | $ 00,000 | $ 00,000 |
| 84 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | 74% | 70% | 91% | $40,900 | $93 612 |
| 85 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL | 89% | 43% | 90% | $32,700 | $111 356 |
| 86 | Stephens College Columbia, MO | 54% | 49% | 93% | $30,700 | $97 288 |
| 87 | Point Loma Nazarene University SanDiego, CA | 70% | 73% | 93% | $50,300 | $120 684 |
| 88 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA | 85% | 72% | 91% | $43,200 | $60 736 |
| 89 | University of North Texas Dentaon, TX | 65% | 50% | 91% | $42,100 | $43 308 |
| 90 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA | 62% | 69% | 92% | $46,500 | $77 740 |
| 91 | Washington State University Pullman, WA | 82% | 67% | 92% | $46,400 | $65 708 |
| 92 | University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL | 51% | 66% | 93% | $42,400 | $75 740 |
| 93 | Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, OK | 64% | 47% | 90% | $35,600 | $76 184 |
| 94 | University of Wisconsin – Stout City, State | 85% | 57% | 97% | $42,000 | $53 120 |
| (1) Represents the fall admission rate for full-time undergraduate students. (2) Graduation rate for full-time students who began their studies as first-time degree or certificate seeking students. (3) Percentage of students employed two years after graduation. (4) Median earnings of students six years after graduation. (5) Average net price generated by subtracting grant or scholarship aid from total cost of attendance. | ||||||
How to Select a Design School
Some students think that one design program is pretty much the same as the next. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Design schools vary in their philosophy about what education is for, the best type of design instructors, and how students should reach their academic goals. Design schools also vary in the type and level of accreditation they possess. Some design schools are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), others are regionally accredited, some possess national accreditation, and a few are not accredited at all. So what exactly should you consider when selecting a design school?
What is their mission?
Read the mission statement and program description for each design school you’re seriously considering. While some schools don’t put a lot of stock in mission statements, a mission statement can provide you a good idea of how a school defines success. Is a school’s mission statement in line with your own personal and career aspirations? If not, their program may not be a good fit for you. Also look at program descriptions. What claims do they make about what you’ll learn and do? Can they back up their claims with real-world examples and verifiable student success stories? Or are they just telling you what you want to hear?
Review the curriculum.
A school’s curriculum is a good indicator of the quality of design education you can expect to receive. As a prospective student, you may not be familiar with all the terminology, but you should be able to determine if the curriculum offers a cohesive series of relevant courses that builds toward mastery in a specific design discipline. Does the school offer a clear core curriculum? Does the curriculum include liberal arts courses? If so, how do they relate to the core curriculum? Is the structure of the curriculum designed to help you develop a professional competency? Some design schools provide a breadth of program options. As attractive as this might seem, having too many program options can lead to the development of too few professional competencies upon graduation.
Evaluate individual course offerings.
In addition to evaluating a school’s overall curriculum, it’s important to review individual course offerings. Are the courses relevant and up to date? Are courses designed to cover an array of media and design mediums? First year courses should cover a wide variety of design concepts, methodologies, techniques and theory. Beyond the first year, courses should tie concepts together and provide a more focused, competency driven education.
Do courses provide depth of instruction and subject mastery? Do courses help you develop technical and critical thinking skills that can be applied in a modern, real-world environment? How do individual courses compare to those offered at other institutions? Read all course descriptions. If the courses are described as “how-to” or “introductory”, you likely won’t achieve the same depth of education or level of subject mastery as your peers at other schools.
Who are the faculty?
Higher education institutions are no better than the faculty they employ. This is especially true for design schools, where most classes are small and students work closely with their instructors. When evaluating design schools, consider the following: Are courses taught by full-time professors, part-time instructors, or graduate students? Do faculty have MFA degrees? Do instructors possess up-to-date, discipline specific skills and knowledge? Or is their thinking and approach to design outdated. You don’t want faculty who provide outdated critiques, or are out of touch with current trends. At the same time, it can be difficult to connect with faculty right out of the field who are new to teaching. Sometimes a combination of both extremes can provide the perfect balance.
Evaluate the students.
The quality of a design program will be evident in the caliber of students admitted and graduates produced. If a design school accepts all applicants, regardless of qualification, the quality of education is going to be lower than that offered at a design school that only admits qualified applicants.
What is the school’s graduation rate? How successful are it’s graduates? Do most students find jobs following graduation? What is the school’s job placement rate? Where do graduates end up working? How much do they make?
Ask each school you’re considering for a list of recent alumni. Contact alumni directly and find out what they and their classmates are doing? Ask them about their experience at the school. What did they like? What didn’t they like? What would they do differently? Recent alumni can provide you a good indication of whether a design program is right for you. They can also help you develop a clear educational and career roadmap for the future.
What type of support does a school offer?
Does the program have a formal career services department that seems knowledgeable? Is there an academic advisor assigned to each student? Are extracurricular activities available? Will you have access to modern facilities with ample work space and necessary equipment?
How big (or small) is the school?
The size of a design school is an important consideration. Larger schools tend to offer a greater breadth of courses and subject matter. Consequently, larger schools also tend to offer a greater selection of specialized courses than smaller programs. Since the teachers at smaller schools are required to teach a wide range of subject matter, they are often generalists. However, smaller programs, with smaller class sizes, provide students more personalized, one-on-one instruction than larger design programs.
Where is a program located?
Design programs located in large cities may provide students more access to internships, job opportunities, cultural experiences and lectures. However, students attending school in the big city experience longer commutes, less space to work, more sharing of resources, and greater distraction from their studies. While lacking in cultural experience and amenities of the big city, design programs situated in suburban or rural areas provide students a less distracting environment that is conducive to learning.
Consider cost and value.
Cost should be considered when selecting a design school – but don’t get caught up in sticker price. There is a lot to consider when evaluating the true cost of any design program. A seemingly expensive design program may provide its students more scholarship money than a less expensive school. Just because a program has a high sticker price does mean it offers a superior education. “Cheaper” programs (ie. those provided at public institutions) are often less expensive simply because they’re better funded than more expensive programs (ie. private programs that rely on donations and tuition). At the end of the day, the most important thing is that the money you invest in your education produced the desired outcome. Is the education you’re paying for going to help you achieve your near and long-term personal and career goals?
Visit the school.
The best way to avoid buyer’s remorse is to visit each school and experience their program before enrolling. Ask if you can spend a day on campus and sit in on a few classes. If it’s an online design school you’re considering, ask to participate in one of its online classes. Take the opportunity to get to know, and interact with, the other students. Do they seem to enjoy the learning experience? Are they engaged with each other, the instructor, and the topic of discussion? Do students spend much time with each other outside the classroom? Do students and professors interact with other students outside their program? These are all important questions to ask, and consider, when evaluating a design program.
Is the program accredited?
Accreditation is something to pay attention to when selecting a design school, and it should be a deciding factor in your decision as to which design school to attend. Accreditation ensures that you’ll be attending a reputable school and investing in a quality education. It will also affect your ability to pursue additional education opportunities down the road, qualify for financial aid, and find a good job.
There are three types of accreditation in design education: Regional Accreditation, National Accreditation and Industry Accreditation. While all three types of accreditation are designed to ensure schools adhere to national standards, regional and industry accreditation are preferred. Most major colleges and universities in the United States are regionally accredited. Regional accreditation ensures that the credits you earn are transferable to any other regionally accredited institution. Industry accreditation ensures your design program adheres to the highest industry standards in design education.
Accreditation agencies for arts and design include the following:
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
- Council for Interior Design Accreditation
- National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD)
- National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
- National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
You can learn more about regional and national accrediting agencies by visiting Accreditation in Higher Education.
