### SUMMARY

 Studying Graphic Design is a valuable choice and frequently an essential first step for students wanting to begin a career as a branding specialist, a digital media specialist, or a product photographer. In fact, graphic design is fairly common ranking as the 81st most popular area of study. Last academic year, there were 4,926 graphic design degrees conferred. In-state tuition for graphic design at private institutions is, on average, 3.5 times more spendy than their public counterparts.

 There are 352 schools which offer graphic design. 352 schools is on par with other degrees offered in the United States. If you are looking to immerse yourself with other graphic design majors, consider colleges in California which have more undergrads admitted to graphic design than any other state. Zooming out, the best region to get a degree in graphic design is in the Great Lakes region with [Columbia College Chicago](/colleges/columbia-college-chicago), [Ferris State University](/colleges/ferris-state-university), and [Oakland University](/colleges/oakland-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection for the best conference to study graphic design is the Northeast 10 Conference with [Assumption College](/colleges/assumption-college), [Stonehill College](/colleges/stonehill-college), and [Southern New Hampshire University](/colleges/southern-new-hampshire-university) representing the conference. That said, our choice for the best college for graphic design is [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university). You might also want to check out our list of [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges).

 The objectively 'best' school does not have to be the best school for you. There can be many more factors to think about when choosing institution. External stuff such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food could modify one's inclinations on which school to attend. Here at authority.org, we examined the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you want to know which graphic design university is home to the best college campus, the winner is [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university). If, for example, you are mostly interested in which college has the best campus, we have an entire page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, government databases, student reviews, and more to compare every major in the United States in an unbiased and informative way. You can find our comprehensive list for the universities with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and, from that list, our pick for the college with the best student life for graphic design is [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida). Are you curious why? Continue reading to discover more about Authority's top recommendations. Many of our decisions might shock you.

 If expense is a significant factor in your choice of where you attend school, you might be cautious about [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university). [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university)&nbspis the most expensive school for graphic design, at least regarding out of state enrollment. That being said, we have an entire list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that might put the cost at [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you may be interested to know that graphic design is the 95th most expensive major in the United States, with an average cost of $39,900. On a broader scale, the most expensive state for graphic design nationally is District of Columbia demonstrated with a cost of $49,070 at the main school in the state American University. To zoom out even further, the most costly region for graphic design is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university) with a cost of $54,720, [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university) with a cost of $52,420, and [Rhode Island School of Design](/colleges/rhode-island-school-of-design) with a cost of $51,800.

 Our cheapest region for graphic design is the Rocky Mountains region which is represented by [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo) with a cost of $5,790, [Weber State University](/colleges/weber-state-university) with a cost of $14,973, and [Independence University](/colleges/independence-university) with a cost of $14,585. On the bright side, the most affordable university for graphic design is [CUNY Queens College](/colleges/cuny-queens-college). Authority's full list of the most affordable universities can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state students can expect to pay about $9,900 for a degree in graphic design. That cost increases dramatically to a median of $21,300 for the out-of-state public-school student. As such, you might be interested in our selection for the university representing the best value for graphic design: [Thomas Jefferson University](/colleges/thomas-jefferson-university). On this page you will see our comprehensive list on the universities we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. Bear in mind, this discussion is based on the assumption that you are an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition costs are considered, but we do not know in which states any one student has residency.

 Earnings for graphic design students can vary, but within two years finishing the degree graduates will often earn in the neighborhood of $50,800. While there is much variation in pay; top positions can experience pay up to $89,800. Right out of college, the lowest end jobs within the graphic design field make $29,100, which could be worse. The highest earning graduates from graphic design have come from [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university)&nbspand if you want to find the colleges with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The prevailing diversity of graphic design ranks decent, ranking in the 67th percentile of majors nationally. The college with the most composite diversity for graphic design is [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list for the colleges with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of the Graphic Design major sits only in the 55th percentile of all majors. Racial diversity is actually above financial diversity, in the 64th percentile. White students make up the largest proportion at 57% of scholars studying graphic design. Additionally, 72% of scholars seeking a graphic design major are women.

 The median rating for graphic design professors is 4 stars, a ranking which is actually the average score across all majors; this is a fine. If you want the most popular graphic design professor in the country, look no further than We have insufficient professors data for graphic design to make the conclusions we normally would have made in this sentence. As we consider data other than simply rankings we find that the college possessing the overall best professors for graphic design is [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university). One will find an explanation of our ever evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with some of the best professors in the country.

 Finally, the most difficult university to get into for graphic design is [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university). While we do not necessarily see the value in it, we do have a comprehensive page for the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, we do hope you believe that approaching college with context primarily derived from superlatives could be said to be the root of many of higher education's fundamental problems. We hope you read our more nuanced pages on different universities and read a few of Authority's background pages on essential details to look out for as you continue your university search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Graphic design is the 81st most popular degree in America, with 4,926 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #82 [Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering](/rankings/best-colleges-for-aerospace-aeronautical-and-astronautical-engineering), and narrowly lost to #80 [Communication Sciences and Disorders](/rankings/best-colleges-for-communication-sciences-and-disorders).

 The degree is offered at a total of 352 colleges across the nation, and is the 64th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 7% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that 47% of colleges offering graphic design are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The great lakes produces the most graphic design graduates, largely led by [Columbia College Chicago](/colleges/columbia-college-chicago), while it’s the Northeast 10 Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [Art Center College of Design](/colleges/art-center-college-of-design) and [California Baptist University](/colleges/california-baptist-university).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more graphic design graduates than [Central Arizona College](/colleges/central-arizona-college), which graduated 284 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study graphic design). More students studied graphic design as a percentage of total students at [Nossi College of Art](/colleges/nossi-college-of-art) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Graphic design is the 95th most expensive major in the US, with a median cost of $39,880 among the top 50 programs (just ahead of #96, [Ethnic Studies](rankings/best-colleges-for-ethnic-studies), with a median cost of $39,761).

 New England has the most expensive schools with first-class graphic design programs led by [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university) with an annual cost of $54,720. The most expensive state for graphic design is District of Columbia led by [American University](/colleges/american-university).

 Public schools with solid programs by and large charge 71.66% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 38.8% less than your average private school. So, if you're trying to find a state school, make sure you qualify for in-state tuition ASAP.

 The most expensive top 25 college for graphic design is [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university), which is the 62nd most expensive college in the United States. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo). It costs just $5,790 per year, and it's ranked 40th for its graphic design program. If you’re looking for the least expensive option in the top 25, [CUNY Queens College](/colleges/cuny-queens-college)  might be right for you, ranked #12 with an in-state cost of just $6,930. Another more affordable pick would be #20, [Fashion Institute of Technology](/colleges/fashion-institute-of-technology) in New York County, NY with a cost of $5,190 for in-state students and $15,570 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Starting college is a huge investment for most students. It is important to make sure you are well positioned to gain financially from that investment. We hope the following income and job placement insights help you in deciding your focus at college.

 Fresh out of university, Graphic Design graduates make $30,102 per annum on average (bottom 20%). Later on in their occupations, they can make as much as $89,787 a year to as little as $29,138, but average about $50,791. To put it in context, that is 31% more than the United States average.

 The most popular job title for a Graphic Design graduate is Web Developer, which typically make roughly $55,000; next are Marketing Internship and Graphic Designer Internship, which usually make around $24,000 and $33,000 respectively.

 The highest earning region for Graphic Design graduates is The Far West. OR has the most well paid Graphic Design graduates of any state. University Athletic Association has the highest earning Graphic Design graduates of any conference..



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Graphic Design: Median Professor Rating: 4 / 5, which is average.

 Professors always have a big influence your college experience, no matter what you study. An effective professor could help a student find their passion and set you up for future success. On the other hand, an unpleasant professor can drive unnecessary aggravation or even worse... flunk you!

 Professors of Graphic Design have a median student rating of 4 out of 5, putting these professors in the upper 51st percentile in the United States based on overall professor effectivness. Suprisingly, this major is exactly the median for professor rating, which, in our opinion, is remarkably average! Graphic Design professors slightly surpassed those from ["Finance"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-finance), whereas ["Literature"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-literature)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Graphic Design.

 Now for some statistics about Graphic Design professors. Colleges located in remote rural areas tend to have the best Graphic Design professors. The Southern States Athletic Conference has the highest rated Graphic Design professors. The Far West region has the highest rated Graphic Design professors. Public schools tend to have higher rated Graphic Design professors than private colleges. Finally, Wyoming has the highest rated Graphic Design professors in the United States.

 

### STUDENTS

 College often is a supremely constructive adventure in one's life; it is a chance for individual progress and development. Undergrads attempt to realize who they dream to emulate and develop the imperative skills to be a successful member of society. But growth is deeper than what one learns in a classroom - the late nights discussing Noam Chomsky with a peer, the personal lesson gained from a tenured professor, the exposure to a different life experience. As such, finding a diverse college vastly improves what one gains from the time spent in college.

 Graphic Design is a slightly more ethnically diverse focus than average\*. 57% of the nation's Graphic Design majors are white students, followed by latino students (14%), students of other races\*\*(13%), and asian students (11%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [University of Illinois at Chicago](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-chicago)&nbspin Chicago, IL.

 Furthermore, Graphic Design significatly skews female, with a little north of 71.4% of students majoring in Graphic Design identifying as women. [Creighton University](/colleges/creighton-university) in Omaha, NE has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another critical type of diversity is socioeconomic diversity. Graphic Design is fairly close to the median for economic diversity (45th percentile). 30% of its majors come from households bringing in more than $110,000 a year, 16% are from families that earn between $48,000 and $75,000 a year, and 24% grew up in households making below $30,000 a year. [Saint Edward's University](/colleges/saint-edward-s-university) has the most fiscally diverse student body in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall NV is the most diverse state for Graphic Design. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 11%
* Black: 5%
* Latino: 14%
* White: 57%
* Other: 13%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 28%
* Female: 72%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 24%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 16%
* Over 110k: 30%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 69%
* Out of State: 25%
* International: 5%


University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

The University of Texas at Austin

Carnegie Mellon University

University of Florida

Northeastern University

University of Southern California

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Boston University

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

University of Miami

George Washington University

University of South Florida

Michigan State University

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

University of Central Florida

Brigham Young University

Oklahoma State University-Main Campus

Texas Christian University

Iowa State University

Creighton University

American University

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Search for the best Graphic Design colleges according to your filter parameters.

2023 Graphic Design Popularity

There are about 36,832 students enrolled in Graphic Design in the USA.

POPULARITY