According to the most recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau (March 27, 2012), the state of South Carolina is home to 15,130 salaried artists, up from 14,680 in 2002. Nearly 1,800 are graphic designers. They average $40,500 per year (up from $34,550 in 2002). This is higher than the national average salary for all careers. The lowest paid graphic designers in the U.S. earn less than $26,210 overall and the highest 10 percent earn $77,370. In 2002, the average salary for U.S. graphic designers was $36,680 (median).
Thanks to the high demand for talented graphic designers, employment and salary growth are expected to continue over the next decade. With this in mind, colleges across the U.S. have wither added graphic design to their program offerings or expanded existing programs. This means, finding a graphic design program in most states is easy. Finding the best graphic design programs may take a little work. Fortunately, organizations such as Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and Princeton Review have don most of the work for you.
These organizations are responsible for creating some of the most respected college rankings in the world. They evaluate schools based on factors such as number and variety of program offerings, student selectivity, class size, peer assessment, financial resources, and graduation and retention rates. In the state of South Carolina, a number of schools make the cut each year, and many of them offer excellent programs for aspiring graphic designers. Continue reading to find out which South Carolina schools are the “best” schools for aspiring graphic designers and what they have to offer.
Best Graphic Design School Programs - Major South Carolina Cities
Charleston
Charleston Southern University - Degrees Offered: B. A. Graphic Design
Greenville
Bob Jones University – Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design
Best Graphic Design School Programs - Other South Carolina Cities and Towns
Anderson
Anderson University - Degrees Offered: B. A. Art with Concentration in Graphic Design
Clemson
Clemson University - Degrees Offered: B. S. Graphic Communications, M. F. A. Digital Production Arts, M.S. Graphic Communications
Conway
Coastal Carolina University - Degrees Offered: B. A. Graphic Design
Due West
Erskine College – Degrees Offered: B.A. Visual Art with Concentration in Graphic Design
Greenwood
Lander University – Degrees Offered: B. S. Visual Arts with Graphic Design Emphasis
Hartsville
Coker College - Degrees Offered: B. A. Art with Concentration in Graphic Design
Spartanburg
University of South Carolina, Spartanburg – Degrees Offered: B. A. Art Studio with Graphic Design Emphasis
Tigerville
North Greenville University - Degrees Offered: B. A. Studio Art with Concentration in Graphic Design
More Programs to Consider:
- Atlanta, Georgia; Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and SCAD eLearning
- Animation – BFA, MA, MFA
- Film and Television – BFA, MA, MFA
- Graphic Design – BA, BFA, MA, MFA
- Illustration – BA, BFA, MA, MFA
- Immersive Reality - BFA
- Interactive Design and Game Development – BA, BFA, MA, MFA
- Motion Media Design – BFA, MA, MFA
- Sequential Art – BA, BFA, MA, MFA
- Visual Effects – BFA, MA, MFA
- User Experience (UX) Design – BFA
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#3) - 2020
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#12) - 2020
- Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#9) - 2020
- Top 40 Nationally for Illustration (#9) - 2020
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#15) - 2020
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#23) - 2020
- Top 40 Nationally for Illustration (#29) - 2020
- Winter Park, FL & Online
- Computer Animation - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Game Programs - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Film & Digital Cinematography - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Mobile Development - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Simulation & Visualization - Bachelor's - Campus
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#19) - 2020
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#17) - 2020
- Top 5 in Florida for Graphic Design (#4) - 2020
