Today’s graphic designer must be multi-faceted, wildly creative, tech savvy, and a fierce competitor. To help meet the industry’s demand for a sort of “super” graphic designer, schools across the U.S. have added comprehensive graphic design programs or reworked existing programs. The result? It is safe to say that the U.S. now has some of the best graphic design programs in the world. While some of the best programs can be found across the map, some states have a higher concentration than others. Illinois is one of those states.
With nearly 10,000 salaried graphic designers, Illinois is home to the fifth largest population of graphic designers in the U.S. It also has one of the highest number of accredited colleges and universities in the nation. Many of the state’s 180+ accredited colleges and universities make the “best schools” list each year. The University of Chicago and Northwestern University are just a few of the best in the world.
College ranking agencies rank the best schools based on factors such as number of program offerings, class size, peer assessment, student selectivity, faculty resources, graduation and retention rates, and financial resources. Just a few of the state’s best graphic design school programs are offered at Columbia College (Chicago) , Bradley University (Peoria), and DePaul University (Chicago).
Browse through the list below to learn more about the best graphic design school programs in Illinois and what they have to offer.
Best Graphic Design School Programs - Major Illinois Cities
Chicago
Columbia College - Degrees Offered: B. A. Art and Design; B. A. Film and Video with Animation (Traditional or Computer) Concentration; B. A. Game Design with Concentration in Game Art, Game Development, Programming or Game Sound; B. F. A. Graphic Design, Illustration; B. A., B. F. A. Interactive Arts and Media
DePaul University - Degrees Offered: B. A./B. S. Animation; B. A. Art, Media and Design with Concentration in Art and Design or Media Arts; B. S. Computer Game Development, Computer Graphics and Motion Technology; B. F. A. Graphic Design; M. S. Computer Game Development, Computer Graphics and Motion Technology
University of Illinois at Chicago - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Electronic Visualization, Graphic Design; M. F. A. Graphic Design, New Media Arts
Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design, New Media; M. F. A. Art and Design with Concentration in Graphic Design, M. F. A. Studio with Concentration in New Media
Peoria
Bradley University - Degrees Offered: B. A., B. S., B. F. A. Art with Concentration in Graphic Design; B. A., B. S. Interactive Media with Concentration in Animation and Visual Effects, Game Design or Web and Application Design; M. A., M. F. A. Drawing/Illustration, Visual Communications and Design
Best Graphic Design School Programs - Other Illinois Cities and Towns
Charleston
Eastern Illinois University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design
Normal
Illinois State University - Degrees Offered: B. A., B. S., B. F. A. Graphic Design
Macomb
Western Illinois University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Art with Emphasis in Graphic Design; B. S. Instructional Simulation and Gaming
More Programs to Consider:
- San Francisco & Online
- Winter Park, FL & Online
- Orlando, Florida (Online Programs Available)
