Despite a hefty price tag, New York is still a mecca for aspiring artists and designers or all kinds. The state is home to major art museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art, and it is also home to some of the largest advertising agencies in the world such as Omnicom Group, Interpublic Group, BBDO, JWT, DDB Worldwide, and Deutsch Inc. A number of major studios can be found here, such as Broadway Stages, Steiner Studios, Kaufman Astoria, and Silvercup Studios, and top graphic design studios such as Vignelli Associates, Chermayeff & Geismar, Sagmeister & Walsh, Huge, and Pentagram.
New York is home to some of top art and design schools in the world as well. Most are located in the nation’s largest city—New York City. Just a few include Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, and the School of Visual Arts. Continue reading to find out which New York State schools offer the best graphic design programs and where to find them.
New York Graphic Design Schools
New York is home to 304 Title IV degree-granting colleges and universities. Many of these schools offer graphic design programs at the associate degree level up to the ma. Scroll through the list below to review New York’s top graphic design schools and what they have to offer.
Albany
College of Saint Rose - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Sage College of Albany - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic + Media Design
Amherst
Daemen College - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design, Minor Graphic Design
Brooklyn
Pratt Institute - Degrees Offered: BFA Communications Design (ComD), Concentration Graphic Design, MS Package Design, MFA Communications Design, Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) Associate Degree Graphic Design, Graphic Design Certificate
Brookville
Long Island University - School of Visual and Performing Arts - Degrees Offered: MA Art with a Concentration in Graphic Design
Jamaica
York College, City University of New York (CUNY) - Degrees Offered: BA Studio Art with a Concentration in Graphic Design or Computer Graphics
New Paltz
State University of New York at New Paltz - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
New York
Baruch College - Degrees Offered: BA with a Graphic Communication Specialization, Minor Graphics
Fashion Institute of Technology - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Fordham University – Degrees Offered: BFA Visual Arts with a Concentration in Graphic Design
New York Film Academy – Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design, 1 Year Graphic Design Conservatory
New York Institute of Technology – Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design, MFA Graphic Design
Pace University – Degrees Offered: BFA Art with a Concentration in Digital Art and Graphic Design
Parsons School of Design – Degrees Offered: AAS Graphic Design, Certificate in Graphic and Digital Design
School of Visual Arts – Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Yeshiva University - Stern College for Women – Degrees Offered: BFA Art Studio, Emphasis Graphic Design
Oswego
State University of New York at Oswego - Degrees Offered:BA Track III - Graphic Design, BFA Graphic Design, MA Studio Art: Graphic Design Emphasis
Patchogue
Briarcliff College - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design - Illustration; BFA Graphic Design - Print Design; BFA Graphic Design - Website Design, AAS Graphic Design
Purchase
Purchase College, State University of New York - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Queens
Queens College - Degrees Offered: BS Graphic Design, Minor Graphic Design
St. John’s University - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design, Minor Graphic Design with a Print or Digital Media Concentration
Rochester
Rochester Institute of Technology - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design, MFA Computer Graphics Design (Visual Communication Design)
Saratoga Springs
Empire State College - Degrees Offered: BA with a Concentration in Graphic Design
Sparkill
St. Thomas Aquinas College - Degrees Offered: BS Graphic Design, Minor Graphic Design
Staten Island
College of Staten Island - City University of New York (CUNY) - Degrees Offered: BS Communications with a Specialization in Design and Digital Media (graphic design, digital imaging, web design), Minor Design and Digital Media
Syracuse
Syracuse University - Degrees Offered: BFA Graphic Design
Troy
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Degrees Offered: BS Communication, Concentration Graphic Design: Theory, Research and Practice, Graduate Certificate in Graphics
More Graphic Design related programs to consider:
- Savannah, Atlanta, Hong Kong, France, and Online via SCAD eLearning
- Animation – B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A.
- Film and television – B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A.
- Motion media design – B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A.
- Illustration – B.A., B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A.
- Interactive design and game development – B.A., B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A.
- Sequential art – B.A., B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A.
- Visual effects – B.F.A., M.A., M.F.A.
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#7) - 2019
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#15) - 2019
- Top 40 Nationally for Illustration (#6) - 2019
- Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#13) - 2019
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#21) - 2019
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#28) - 2019
- Top 40 Nationally for Illustration (#40) - 2019
- 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 (#27) - 2019
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#24) - 2019
- Top 10 in Florida for Graphic Design (#4) - 2019
- Online
- Introduction to 3D Animation - 6 months
- Introduction to 3D Modeling - 6 Months
- Introduction to Concept Art - 6 Months
- Foundations for VFX & Game Design - 10 Months
- Advanced 3D Animation Diploma - 10 Months
- Advanced 3D Modeling Diploma - 10 Months
- Advanced Concept Art Diploma - 10 Months
- Advanced Illustration Diploma - 10 Months
Employment and Salary Trends for New York Graphic Designers
New York is home to nearly 200,000 professionals working in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media occupations. Around 18,460 are salaried graphic designers averaging $60,560 per year, up from $59,140 in 2013 when the state was home to 18,010 designers. The state has second highest employment level in this occupation, the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients, and at an average salary of $60,560 per year, New York is number two on the list of top five highest paying states for graphic designers.
Of the top ten metropolitan areas for graphic designers, the New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division has the highest employment level and the sixth highest concentration of jobs and location quotients. The area is also number seven on the list of top paying metro areas for graphic designers.
Finally, the State of New York is home to the city where everyone wants to be—New York City. Some of the world’s largest advertising firms such as BBDO, JWT, and Omnicom Group can be found here as well as hundreds of other creative agencies, major publishers (including the BIG FIVE), web design companies, graphic design firms, technology firms, and more. New York’s large population of graphic designers can find work in all industries from advertising and public relations to education, printing, the tech sector and even aerospace.
Although employment opportunities are available in many fields, New York-based graphic designers often work in the top industries for this occupation including specialized design services; advertising, public relations and related services; newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers; printing and related support activities, and computer systems design and related services.
While NYC is the state’s top city for graphic designers, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, Syracuse and Albany are also worth exploring.
Awesome Animation Fact: In Disney’s Aladdin (1992), Aladdin originally had a mother who was going to appear in the film, but her character was deleted to streamline the story. There was even a song called "Proud of Your Boy" sung by Aladdin about his mother. –E! Loves
