Digital Art Schools in Ohio

The state of Ohio is home to more than 50,000 artists and designers. They work in a variety of fields from fine and digital art to filmmaking, education, and more. The can be found in large numbers working independently and at museums, animation studios, film studios, creative agencies, and more.

While many of the state’s artists live and work in major cities such as Columbus and Cleveland, smaller towns such as Lorain and Youngstown also have a unique scene—even for digital artists. For example, The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown has an entire center dedicated to electronic art and new media, and Lorain County is home to the Lorain Art Museum and Allen Memorial Art Museum.

In addition to plenty of places to create and discover art, Ohio is home to a wide variety of schools that offer programs for aspiring artists and designers. Just a few include Columbus College of Art & Design, Otterbein University, and the Art Academy of Cincinnati. While these schools have a variety of programs for aspiring artists and designers, several others have specific programs for digital artists.

Ohio Digital Art Schools

According to the most recent report by the National Center for Education Sciences, Institute of Education Sciences (NCES IES), Ohio is home to 215 accredited colleges and universities, placing it in sixth place on the list of state’s with the largest number of accredited colleges and universities. More than 500,000 students are enrolled in the state’s accredited colleges, with 2,500+ enrolled in Ohio’s top art schools alone. Continue reading to learn more about Ohio’s top art schools for aspiring digital artists.

Bowling Green
Bowling Green State University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Art with Digital Arts or Graphic Design Concentration, M. F. A. Digital Arts

Cleveland
Cleveland Institute of Art - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Animation, Communication Design, Game Design, Illustration, Technology and Integrated Media Environment (T. I. M. E.) – Digital Arts, Video

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Employment and Salary Trends for Ohio Digital Artists

Ohio was home to 55,470 salaried artists and designers in 2002. According to the latest report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (March 29, 2012), the state is now home to 53,830 artists. Between 2002 and today, however, the industry gained and lost hundreds of artists. The population was 53,560 in 2006, but by 2008, the population had increased to an impressive 56,330.

Although Ohio’s population of artists rose and fell frequently between 2002 and today, salaries have steadily increased every year since 2002. In 2002, Ohio artists averaged $36,220. In 2006, the average salary increased to $41,090 and in 2008, they rose again to $42,140. Today, Ohio artists average $44,060 a year.

It is important to note that salaries (and employment growth) vary greatly by field. For example, according to the Bureau, Ohio was home to 760 multimedia artists & animators in 2002, averaging $39,940. Today, the state is home to 420 multimedia artists & animators, averaging $56,460 per year. Art directors, on the other hand, average $82,840 per year, up from $61,060 in 2002. The state was home to 670 art directors in 2002. Today, the state is home to 1,140 salaried art directors.

There are more than 1.7 million artists and designers living and working in the U.S. today. In 2002, the nation was home to around 1.5 million artists and designers. Mean annual wages of artists were $41,660 in 2002. The lowest paid artists earned less than $16,000, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $73,000. Today, the mean annual wage for artists nationwide is $53,850.