According to the most recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (March 27, 2012), South Dakota is home to 5,530 salaried artists, up from 4,260 in 2002. The Bureau reports that 250 of these salaried artists are graphic designers. They average $23,220 per year, down from $27,180 in 2002. The lowest paid graphic designers in the U.S. average less than $26,210 and the highest 10 percent earn $77,370. In 2002, the average salary for U.S. graphic designers was $36,680 (median).
Nationwide employment and salary growth in this field has attracted designers of varying backgrounds. They enter the field with a variety of degrees such as communication design, multimedia, media art, and of course, graphic design. Colleges across the U.S. have taken notice of current trends, so programs are no longer limited to private art and design. Traditional colleges, technical schools, career schools, and even community colleges have added new graphic design programs to the list of offerings or expanded existing programs. This means, graphic design programs are fairly easy to find.
If you’re interested in finding out which graphic design schools are the best, you’re in luck. A number of respected organizations such as Forbes, Princeton Review, and U.S. News & World Report have done most of the work for you. They determine the best of the best schools by assessing quality, number and variety of program offerings, student selectivity, graduation and retention rates, class size, peer assessment, and financial resources. In the state of South Dakota, a number of schools made the cut.
Continue reading to find out which South Dakota schools are the “best” schools for aspiring graphic designers and what they have to offer.
Best Graphic Design School Programs - Major South Dakota Cities
Brookings
South Dakota State University - Degrees Offered: B. A., B. S. Graphic Design, Studio Arts
Sioux Falls
University of Sioux Falls - Degrees Offered: B. A. Art with Concentration in Graphic Design
Best Graphic Design School Programs - Other South Dakota Cities and Towns
Mitchell
Dakota Wesleyan University - Degrees Offered: B. A. Graphic Design, Multimedia
Vermillion
University of South Dakota - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Art with Specialization in Graphic Design; M. F. A. Graphic Design
Yankton
Mount Mary College - Degrees Offered: B. A. Graphic Design and Media Arts
More Programs to Consider:
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#37) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Illustration (#24) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#38) - 2021
- 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
- Simulation & Visualization - Bachelor's - Campus
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#11) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#10) - 2021
- Top 25 in the South for Graphic Design (#10) - 2021
- Online