Which graphic design school should I choose?
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Choosing a graphic design school: We look at 4 educational paths

Posted: September 27, 2011

[This article relates to: graphic design schools, graphic design education, university, for profit school, art institutes.]




A lot of aspiring graphic designers, especially those who decide they want to be designers after high school, ask the same question. What school should I choose? (Note: The following are merely opinons. Please consider all your options when choosing the institution for you.)

Choice #1: Four Year University or State College

The traditional route is majoring in graphic design or fine art at a 4-year university, art college or state college. This is usually a pretty safe bet in terms of getting a good education.

Photo of RISD campus

Pros: Great balanced education, good networking, generally high standards. You'll have a portfolio in the end that should be good enough to apply for entry level jobs out of school. Of course, your talent has a lot to do with your success.

Cons: You must satisfy all the requirements and be admitted to a university. Depending on when you attend, these include having high school transcripts, a HS diploma or GED, and of course, the money to attend. In some cases, even if you are attending a university, you will need to be good enough to get into the graphic design program. Some programs have a limited amount of spaces for new students. You may have to compete quite a bit depending on which school you choose.

Costs: Costs vary greatly. You can get an idea by visiting the university's web site and taking a look at their tuition costs. A 4 year state college for a resident student can be in the $1,000-2,500 range per semester. If you're classified as out-of-state, expect to pay up to 10x more for tuition! Financial aid may also be available.

Examples: Universities and state colleges: Syracuse University, San Jose State University, University of Arizona. Top notch art colleges include the Rhode Island School of Design (pronounced "ris-dee"), Savannah College of Art and Design (aka "scad"), or Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Advice: A 4-year university or presigious art school is an excellent choice if you can do it. Look for universities that have good design programs, not just ones that are near you. See if you qualify for financial aid or scholarships!





Choice #2: For-Profit Trade School

A popular choice for many people who skipped college or who want to change careers is the for-profit trade school. In terms of graphic design, we feel that a trade school is your worst option. See Cons below.

Pros: We don't see any pros.

Cons: The biggest issue with for-profit schools is that they are just that: for-profit. Which means that educational standards are lowered so that they can get as many people in and out their doors as possible, so they can make more money. Many for-profits do not offer the foundational art courses a designer needs to be successful. Many for-profits focus on software, which is the absolute worst way to learn how to be a good designer. (Why? Read "What is graphic design" for more info.)

I recently interviewed a student at a for profit art school, who told me in his design program, he did not have to portfolio into any of his classes. What does that mean? It means that they will accept almost ANYONE, aspiring designers and those with no future in design. If you are an aspiring designer, and you're competing against students who have no talent, you may get the false sense that your work is really good, you know enough about software, and you'll easily get a job in the industry. But don't be fooled. Overall, these schools are for-profit machines that don't care about the quality of graduates or design philosophies they are espousing. (Note: there's even a site out there calling to sue the Art Institute. See links below.)

Costs: Costs are high. The students I spoke to said they paid over $70,000 for their for-profit Bachelor degrees. It makes no sense to choose a for-profit school of any kind when you can get a better education at a university or even our next choice, the junior college. We priced out a Bachelor's degree at the Art Institute (Los Angeles location) and it cost $96,140! (see screenshot of the Art Institute caclulator) My opinion is that the for-proft route is more expensive, but offers a lower quality education.

Examples: Art Institute (all locations), Collins College, Westwood, ITT, UEI, Coleman College.

Advice: After reviewing several bad resumes and portfolios over the years, and even after hiring and firing for-profit graduates personally, I strongly advise students and parents alike to avoid these types of schools if you are serious about getting a good, affordable design education.

Outrage towards for-profits online (external links):




Choice #3: The Junior/Community College

For many, community college is an excellent choice for students just out of school and those looking to make a career change.

Pros: Community college is great because its costs are much lower than the alternative university and for-profit colleges. Many community colleges design programs are taught by experienced, practicing artists and designers who have education from some of the most prestigious universities in the country, including UCLA, Syracuse, and USC.

Another advantage is that while you're taking foundational art classes (a must for any designer), you can also take general ed classes that count toward a well-rounded Bachelor's degree elsewhere. Very often, the cross training influences your design sensibilities, business skills and knowledge. Like art history, business marketing, and even accounting can be helpful courses for a would be graphic designer.

Cons: Only lower level foundational art classes can be taken at the junior college level. Advances design courses are only available at a higher level university. Also, before you enroll in a junior college graphic design program, make sure your classes will transfer to the university you have in mind.

Costs: Costs are usually lower than a university. Unless you're out of state, in which the prices can go up significantly. But that's not always the case. Best to check with your admissions office if you plan to go to school out of state. Here's an example of a tuition table for De Anza College in Cupertino, California.

Examples: Every city has one. Google your city and "community college" for results.

Advice: If for some reason you're unable to attend a 4-year university right away, a junior college is a great alternative. And low cost, too. I know some community college graphic design programs that are even regarded as better than their local university counterparts!




Choice #4: Become Self-taught

Don't discount the possibilities of being self-taught in graphic design! Learning is life-long, and you'll hopefully use this option to keep up to date on design practices and trends. A number of great designers today are self-taught. They spend there time reading blogs, tutorials, videos and how-tos about graphic design. They might attend a design workshop in their community or at a conference. They might talk to other designers in online communities like Tumblr, Facebook, coroflot, or dribble. And they definitely are reading articles like this one!

Pros: If you're just starting out in design, teaching yourself won't give you a degree, but it won't give you a fat student loan bill either. If you learn best in an unstructured environment, then definitely go the self-teaching route.

Cons: If you decide not to go to college, you miss out on networking, resources and opportunities the university offers, job placement assistance, and being in the physical proximity of other designers. You also miss the guided leadership of a true design professional who will serve as your art director and give you criticism on your work. That will be an experience that is very much like working in a real-world design firm (not from your kitchen table with your Mac Book).

Costs: For being self taught, your costs will mostly be measured in time. Be prepared to give a lot of it. You might also have to pay for your own learning tools, computer, internet connection, etc, but I gather you already have all that. If you're doing traditional design work, you'll need a good printer, paper stock, exactos, cutting boards, moutning boards and sprays, etc. Workshop and conference fees may apply if you choose to indulge. Website memberships are also a possibility, though many things you can get for free online.

Advice: Not one choice on this list may work for you, but a combination of them plus this final choice may be just what you need to get started to be a great designer. Best of luck!

Questions, comments or suggestions? Email TheFGD@freelancegraphicdesigner.info.

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