A number of industries have experienced tremendous employment growth over the last 5-7 years, despite slow job growth for the U.S. as a whole. The healthcare industry (nursing, pharmaceuticals, etc.), technology, for-profit universities, social network game development, and others have weathered the storm—and then some. Another industry—one that hasn’t made headlines—is the graphic design industry.
Most states have experienced steady employment and salary growth in the graphic design sector since 2002. One standout is Washington State. Over the last 10 years, the state’s graphic design population has increased by nearly 900, and the freelance community has attracted thousands of active members. In addition, the average salary for graphic designers increased by nearly $7,000 between 2002 and today.
The Evergreen State is home to more than 6.8 million residents and six cities with a population over 100,000. Each city has its own unique art and culture scene, with Seattle leading the pack. Just a few of the states most unique art venues include Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Glass (Tacoma), Northwest Museum of Art and Culture (Spokane), The Whatcom Museum of History and Art (Bellingham), and The Washington State University Museum of Art (Pullman). Washington is also home to several active film offices including Washington Filmworks (Seattle) and the Seattle Film Office, as well as associations and organizations such as the Washington State Arts Commission, and Allied Arts of Seattle.
Washington’s active art and culture scene attracts productions of all kinds as well as creative agencies in the fields of advertising, graphic design, public relations, and web design. This means, Washington-based graphic designers have a variety of environments to choose from. Just a few options include DNA Seattle, Creature (Seattle), Wong, Doody, Crandall, Weiner (Seattle), Publicis (Seattle), Wunderman (Seattle), and Hacker Group (Seattle).
Washington State is home to artists and designers of all kinds. Some are self-taught, while others have formal training. Fortunately, Washington has a sizable collection of colleges that offer programs for artists and designers. Just a few include Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle), Northwest College of Art & Design (Poulsbo), DigiPen Institute of Technology (Redmond), and the Art Institute of Seattle.
If you are an aspiring graphic designer and you’re ready to take the next step, continue reading to learn more about Washington’s most successful graphic design programs and all they have to offer.
Washington Graphic Design Schools
According to the most recent report by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Washington is now home to 85 Title IV degree-granting institutions. Most of these schools offer programs for artists and designers, and quite a few offer top-tier programs for. Scroll through the list below to review Washington’s best options for aspiring graphic designers and what they have to offer.
Ellensburg
Central Washington University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design
Tacoma
Pacific Lutheran University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Studio Arts with Concentration in Graphic Design
Spokane
Whitworth University - Degrees Offered: B. A. Art with Graphic Design Track
Washington Graphic Design Schools – Other Options
Bellevue
DeVry University - Degrees Offered: B.A. Multimedia Design and Development with Graphic and Multimedia Design and Graphics and Multimedia Management Options
Bellingham
Western Washington University - Degrees Offered: B.A. Design (Graphic Design)
Federal Way
DeVry University - Degrees Offered: B.A. Multimedia Design and Development with Graphic and Multimedia Design and Graphics and Multimedia Management Options
Lynwood
DeVry University - Degrees Offered: B.A. Multimedia Design and Development with Graphic and Multimedia Design and Graphics and Multimedia Management Options
Poulsbo
Northwest College of Art & Design (NCAD) – Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography, Interactive Design, Motion Design, and Entertainment Art. Double Major Combinations: Graphic Design and Illustration, Graphic Design and Photography, Graphic Design and Interactive Design, Graphic Design and Motion Design, Graphic Design and Entertainment Art, Entertainment Art and Illustration, Entertainment Art and Interactive Design, Motion Design and Photography, and Motion Design and Interactive Design.
Seattle
Art Institute of Seattle - Degrees Offered: B.F.A. Media Arts & Animation; B.F.A. Game Art & Design; B.F.A. Graphic Design; B.S. Web Design & Interactive Media; B.F.A. Digital Filmmaking & Video Production; A.A.A. Graphic Design; A.A.A. Video Production; A.A.A. Web Design & Interactive Media; Diploma Web Design & Interactive Communications; Diploma Digital Design
Spokane Valley
ITT Technical Institute - Degrees Offered: A.A.S. Graphic Communications and Design
More Washington Graphic Design related programs to consider:
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Online
Employment and Salary Trends for Washington Graphic Designers
With a population of 6,830,038, Washington is the nation’s 13 largest state and it has one of the largest populations of artists in the country. The state is home to 41,400 salaried artists and designers, up from 36,100 in 2002. They average $52,550, up from $46,040 in 2002. Of the state’s 41,000+ salaried artists, 4,200 are graphic designers, up from 3,330 in 2002. They earn an average salary of $51,940, up from $44,980 in 2002.
It is important to note that the Bureau of Labor Statistics only reports average salaries for graphic designers by state. Individual salaries vary. Washington-based graphic designers may make more or less than the average based factors ranging from location to job title. For example, according to the Bureau, “senior designers, who may supervise junior staff or have some decision-making authority that reflects their knowledge of graphic design,” currently earn a median salary of $60,000.
The Bureau also states, “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, and “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.
While lucrative opportunities can be found in many Washington cities, the best opportunities can be found in principal cities. These include Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, and Everett. Kent, Yakima, Renton, and Spokane Valley are also worth looking into.