Which California Colleges Offer Graphic Design Degree Programs?
| College | City |
|---|---|
| Pacific Union College | Angwin |
| Olivet University | Anza |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa |
| Notre Dame de Namur University | Belmont |
| Woodbury University | Burbank |
| California State University, Chico | Chico |
| SAE Expression College | Emeryville |
| California State University, Fresno | Fresno |
| Fresno Pacific University | Fresno |
| California State University, Fullerton | Fullerton |
| California State University, East Bay | Hayward |
| Concordia University | Irvine |
| Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising | Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego |
| Laguna College of Art and Design | Laguna Beach |
| California State University Long Beach | Long Beach |
| California State University Los Angeles | Los Angeles |
| Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles |
| Otis College of Art and Design | Los Angeles |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Los Angeles |
| University of Southern California (USC) | Los Angeles |
| California State University Northridge | Northridge |
| California College of the Arts | Oakland |
| Chapman University | Orange |
| Art Center College of Design | Pasadena |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | Pomona |
| La Sierra University | Riverside |
| California State University, Sacramento | Sacramento |
| Point Lomo Nazarene University | San Diego |
| San Diego State University | San Diego |
| Academy of Art University | San Francisco |
| California College of the Arts | San Francisco |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco |
| University of San Francisco | San Francisco |
| San Jose State University | San Jose |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael |
| California Institute of the Arts | Valencia |
California may be the number one state for film, after all, the world’s very first motion picture theater opened in Los Angeles in 1902, but the Golden State is also quite the attraction for designers of all kinds—including graphic designers. Aspiring graphic designers have plenty of opportunities to find work at one of the states many graphic design firms, media companies, advertising agencies and many more, but advertising seems to be a popular career option for many professionals in this field.
California is home to top advertising agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, J. Walter Thompson, and Foot, Cone & Belding. The state is also home to hundreds of independent firms located in major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Fresno, and Sacramento. Aspiring graphic designers choose California for reasons beyond the best advertising firms and the vast variety of unique employment opportunities. California is also a great place to work, study, and live!
The state has more sunny days than most other states making it great for year round recreation, it is home to hundreds of famous art galleries and museums such as the J. Paul Getty Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), and there are so many schools that offer graphic design programs here, you’ll lose count.
California Graphic Design Schools
California is home to more art schools, technical schools, and traditional colleges that offer Graphic Design programs than just about any other state. The schools here offer the world’s widest variety of Graphic Design programs ranging from the standard B.A. in Graphic Design to an M.F.A. in Graphic Design and Visual Effects. Scroll through the list below to review California’s many schools for aspiring graphic designers and the truly unique degree programs they offer.
Angwin
Pacific Union College - Degrees Offered: BA Graphic Design, BFA Graphic Design
Anza
Olivet University - Degrees Offered: BA Graphic Design Also Available Online, Master of Graphic Design, ALSO Master of Arts, Graphic Arts
Azusa
Azusa Pacific University - Degrees Offered: BA Computer Graphic Design
Belmont
Notre Dame de Namur University - Degrees Offered: BA Art and Graphic Design
Burbank
Woodbury University - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Chico
California State University, Chico - Degrees Offered: BA Communication Design – Graphic Design Option
Emeryville
SAE Expression College - Degrees Offered: BAS Motion Graphic Design, Animation and Visual Effects, Game Art and Design
Fresno
California State University, Fresno - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Fresno Pacific University - Degrees Offered: BA Art, Emphasis in Graphic Art
Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design, MFA Concentration Graphic Design
Hayward
California State University, East Bay - Degrees Offered: BFA Art, Graphic Design Concentration
Irvine
Concordia University - Degrees Offered: BA Graphic Design
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising - Degrees Offered: BA Design, Graphic Design Option
Laguna Beach
Laguna College of Art and Design - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design, Illustration, Game Art, Animation
Long Beach
California State University Long Beach - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Los Angeles
California State University Los Angeles - Degrees Offered: BA Art Option Graphic Design/Visual Communication
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising - Degrees Offered: BA Design, Graphic Design Option
Loyola Marymount University - Degrees Offered: BA Studio Arts with Graphic Design Emphasis
Otis College of Art and Design - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design, MFA Graphic Design
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Degrees Offered: BA Design Media Arts; MFA in Media Arts
University of Southern California (USC) - Degrees Offered: BA Animation and Digital Arts, Interactive Entertainment; MFA Animation and Digital Arts, Interactive Media
Northridge
California State University Northridge - Degrees Offered: MFA, Concentration Graphic Design; BFA Visual Arts, Concentration Graphic Design
Oakland
California College of the Arts - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Orange
Chapman University - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Pasadena
Art Center College of Design - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Pomona
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Riverside
La Sierra University - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento - Degrees Offered: BS Graphic Design
San Diego
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising - Degrees Offered: BA Design, Graphic Design Option
Point Lomo Nazarene University - Degrees Offered: BA Graphic Design (Concentrations: Advertising, Art and Design, Editorial Design, Illustration)
San Diego State University - Degrees Offered: BA Applied Arts & Sciences with a major in Art, emphasis in Graphic Design, MFA Studio Arts, Emphasis Graphic Design, MA Studio Arts, Emphasis Graphic Design
San Francisco
Academy of Art University - Degrees Offered: MFA Graphic Design, BFA Graphic Design
California College of the Arts - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
San Francisco State University - Degrees Offered: BS Visual Communication Design (Graphic Design and Interactive Digital Media)
University of San Francisco - Degrees Offered: BA Design
San Jose
San Jose State University - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo - Degrees Offered: BFA Art and Design, Graphic Design Concentration
San Rafael
Dominican University of California - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Valencia
California Institute of the Arts - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design; MFA Graphic Design (with or without specialization in Motion Graphics)
More Schools with Graphic Design related programs:
- 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
Employment and Salary Trends for California Graphic Designers
In 2006, California was home to a whopping 27,080 graphic designers. By 2010, the talent pool decreased slightly to 26,390. Although lower than 2006 figures, the number of salaried graphic designers living in California is still the largest in the U.S. Even better is, salaries have been on the rise since 2006. The average salary for California graphic designers was an impressive $49,620 in 2006. In 2010, the average was $57,240.
Nationwide, as of 2010, the mean annual wage for graphic designers overall was $48,140 per year. The lowest paid graphic designers earned less than $26,110 (median), and the highest 10 percent earned more than $74,660 (median). The middle 50 percent earned between $32,600 and $56,620 (median).
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “senior designers, who may supervise junior staff or have some decision-making authority that reflects their knowledge of graphic design,” earned a median salary of $60,000. “Solo designers who freelanced or worked under contract reported median earnings of $57,000. Design directors, the creative heads of design firms or in-house corporate design departments,” earn $95,000. “Graphic designers with ownership or partnership interests in a firm or
who are principals of the firm in some other capacity” average $95,000 per year.