We’ve curated a list of the top 15 Graphic Design Colleges in the United States, recognizing the field’s significance in today’s digital landscape.
Graphic Design offers diverse career paths, including freelance opportunities and positions within design firms and industries like video game development.
What are the best graphic design colleges in the US?
Our ranking criteria emphasize the academic influence of these institutions in Graphic Design, considering factors such as faculty h-index and program visibility on reputable websites with high domain authority.
1. Yale University
- Tuition and Fees: $64,700
- Acceptance Rate: 5%
- Median ACT: 35
- Median SAT: 1540
- Student Population: 14,776 (6,645 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 98%
2. School Of Visual Arts
- Tuition and Fees: $49,140
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Median ACT: 29
- Median SAT: 1290
- Student Population: 4,127 (3,533 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 74%
3. Pratt Institute
- Tuition and Fees: $59,683
- Acceptance Rate: 50%
- Median ACT: 29
- Median SAT: 1300
- Student Population: 5,494 (3,934 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 76%
4. Harvard University
- Tuition and Fees: $59,076
- Acceptance Rate: 50%
- Median ACT: 35
- Median SAT: 1550
- Student Population: 30,631 (9,368 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 98%
5. The New School
- Tuition and Fees: $56,386
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Median ACT: 27
- Median SAT: 1255
- Student Population: 10,108 (7,171 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 69%
6. Cooper Union
- Tuition and Fees: $46,820
- Acceptance Rate: 22%
- Median ACT: 33
- Median SAT: 1435
- Student Population: 958 (899 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 83%
7. California Institute Of The Arts
- Tuition and Fees: $56,724
- Acceptance Rate: 25%
- Median ACT: 24
- Median SAT: 1160
- Student Population: 1,440 (940 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 64%
8. Rhode Island School Of Design
- Tuition and Fees: $59,760
- Acceptance Rate: 17%
- Median ACT: 32
- Median SAT: 1440
- Student Population: 2,620 (2,108 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 91%
9. New York University
- Tuition and Fees: $60,438
- Acceptance Rate: 12%
- Median ACT: 34
- Median SAT: 1530
- Student Population: 59,144 (29,401 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 87%
10. Columbia University
- Tuition and Fees: $69,045
- Acceptance Rate: 4%
- Median ACT: 35
- Median SAT: 1530
- Student Population: 34,782 (8,902 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 95%
11. University Of California
- Tuition and Fees: $13,747 (in-state)
- Acceptance Rate: 9%
- Median ACT: 32
- Median SAT: 1405
- Student Population: 46,430 (32,423 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 92%
12. Carnegie Mellon University
- Tuition and Fees: $63,829
- Acceptance Rate: 11%
- Median ACT: 35
- Median SAT: 1540
- Student Population: 16,002 (7,059 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 92%
13. Virginia Commonwealth University
- Tuition and Fees: $16,458 (in-state)
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Median ACT: 25
- Median SAT: 1160
- Student Population: 28,082 (20,958 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 65%
14. School of The Art Institute Of Chicago
- Tuition and Fees: $54,530
- Acceptance Rate: 79%
- Median ACT: 25
- Median SAT: 1230
- Student Population: 3,532 (2,819 undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 67%
15. Kansas City Art Institute
- Tuition and Fees: $43,550
- Acceptance Rate: 58%
- Median ACT: 24
- Median SAT: 1280
- Student Population: 738 (all undergraduates)
- Graduation Rate: 57%