| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | School of Visual Arts | New York | #3 on East Coast | #5 |
| 2 | Pratt Institute | Brooklyn | #4 on East Coast | #6 |
| 3 | The New School | New York | #5 on East Coast | #7 |
| 4 | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | New York | #7 on East Coast | #19 |
| 5 | Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester | #11 on East Coast | #35 |
| 6 | Fashion Institute of Technology | New York | #13 on East Coast | #39 |
| 7 | Syracuse University | Syracuse | #14 on East Coast | Unranked |
| 8 | SUNY Purchase | Purchase | #23 on East Coast | Unranked |
| 9 | St. John’s University | Queens | Unranked | Unranked |
| 10 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy | Unranked | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking of the top 10 graphic design school programs in New York. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
The Design Department at School of Visual Arts (SVA) houses the Design BFA and Design/Design as Entrepreneur MFA programs. The BFA has AR/VR tracks, with opportunities to collaborate on projects with places such as Disney and NASA. With 24/7 access to private studios, the interdisciplinary MFA provides the opportunity to pitch an independent entrepreneurial venture, such as a product or app, at a public venture forum. Across programs, students also have opportunities to work with the student-run Visual Arts Press; participate in exhibitions, workshops, and the annual Industry Review Day; and intern with top creative studios. SVA Design graduates have landed positions at places such as Microsoft, HBO, Google, DreamWorks, Amazon, Pentagram, Disney, Marvel, Apple, IDEO, Epic Games, and YouTube.
The School of Design (SoD) at Pratt Institute (Pratt) provides multiple paths to study graphic design. Options include a Communications Design BFA with an emphasis in Graphic Design or Illustration; a Communication Design MFA; a STEM-designated Packaging, Identities and Systems Design MS; a Graphic Design AOS; and a Graphic Design/Illustration AAS. The School of Continuing and Professional Studies also offers Graphic Design and Digital Design certificates. Degree-seeking students have opportunities to complete an internship and study abroad in places such as Milan, Tokyo, and London. Students also have access to makerspaces, production labs, and the Design Studio. SoD graduates have secured roles at places such as Nickelodeon, HBO, PepsiCo, DreamWorks, Rockstar Games, Dior, Hasbro, Google, Penguin Random House, Amazon, The New Yorker, Sony, Gensler, Apple, Coach, and West Elm.
The New School’s Parsons School of Design houses several programs for aspiring graphic designers. Options include a Communication Design AAS; the STEM-designated BFA and Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Communication Design; and a Graphic and Digital Design certificate that takes just nine weeks to complete. Features across programs include internship opportunities at places such as Nike and HBO; a semester in London, Florence, or at Parsons Paris; and access to the state-of-the-art Making Center. Parsons graduates can be found at places such as Versace, Google, Microsoft, IDEO, Nike, Samsung, New York Times Advertising/T Brand Studio, Brooklyn Museum, Pentagram, Vogue, HBO, and Ralph Lauren.
The School of Art at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) houses a multidisciplinary Art BFA with the option to customize an academic track through specialized courses and free electives. Other program highlights include access to the Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography; professional internships at places such as The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Pentagram, and The New York Times; and study abroad experiences in places such as London, Berlin, and Amsterdam. Cooper Union graduates have secured positions at places such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Noguchi Museum, Gensler, Intel, and NVIDIA.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) provides a number of flexible paths to study graphic design. Options include the Graphic Design BFA; a cross-disciplinary, STEM-designated Visual Communication Design (VCD) MFA; a Design and Imaging Technology AOS/AAS that explores graphic production, digital media, and 3D graphics technology; and BFA degrees in New Media Design, Illustration, and 3D Digital Design. For these programs, students can create a concentration through electives and minors such as Computer Graphics, Letterpress Printmaking, Visualization, and New Media Design. RIT graduates can be found at places such as Hasbro, Boeing, Nickelodeon, Disney, Microsoft, Google, Warner Bros., Apple, Deloitte Digital, HP, Northrop Grumman, PepsiCo, ESPN, Intel, P&G, Nike, IDEO, and Under Armour.
The School of Art at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) houses a Communication Design AAS and Graphic Design BFA (GD BFA). The AAS provides a direct entry into the GD BFA as well as the Packaging Design, Advertising and Digital Design, and Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design BFA programs. Program highlights include access to state-of-the-art production facilities in the Pomerantz Art and Design Center, and Peter G. Scotese Computer-Aided Design and Communications Center; internships at places such as HarperCollins Publishers, Ralph Lauren, and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum; and study abroad experiences in Spain, France, Italy, and Japan. Graduates can be found at places such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), BBDO, Pentagram, Sony, PepsiCo, DDB, Nike, Landor, R/GA, LEGO, Colgate-Palmolive, The Jewish Museum, Godiva, Think Brands, and New York Public Library.
Syracuse University (SU) provides several paths to study graphic design. Within the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) is a studio-intensive Communications Design BFA with the option to study abroad at SU’s extension campus in London. The Newhouse School of Public Communications houses a Visual Communications BS (Vis BS) with a Graphic Design track and a Multimedia, Photography and Design MS. The Vis BS combines graphic design with advertising, storytelling, media, and journalism. The MS has a Graphic Design track, along with opportunities to work on collaborative, real-world projects. Across programs, students have opportunities to complete professional internships at places such as Daylight Blue Media and the Syracuse Poster Project. Graduates have secured roles at Microsoft, Disney, Amazon, Netflix, Google, The Washington Post, KPH Healthcare Services, and WBNG-TV, among others.
The School of Art and Design at SUNY Purchase (also Purchase College) houses an intensive Graphic Design BFA program with the option to specialize in Illustration; a Visual Arts BFA with the option to combine Graphic Design with Printmaking or Sculpture; and a Visual Arts BS with the option to focus on Art History, Communication, or another approved concentration. All programs combine hands-on studio learning with access to state-of-the-art studios, makerspaces, and labs spanning 160,000 square feet. Upper-division students have access to semi-private studios. Graduates have been hired at places such as Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Google, Bloomberg, The New York Times, Gucci, Apple, Nike, Adobe, Paramount Pictures, Target, Disney, Johnson & Johnson, IBM, The Whitney, and HBO.
The Department of Art and Design at St. John’s University (St. John’s) houses a Graphic Design BFA (GD BFA) program with opportunities to intern at places such as The Shark Group, MTV, and Sony and participate in dedicated design studies in Portugal. A Graphic Design minor with Print/Advertising and Digital Media tracks is also available. The Graphic Design BFA culminates with a final project and presentation. Graduates have landed positions with The Public Theater in Manhattan, the NBA, the WNBA, and at places such as BBDO, Amazon, Grey, Pentagram, NBCUniversal, Google, Nike, Disney, Nickelodeon, Penguin Random House, Deloitte, and Hearst.
The Department of Communication and Media within the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) provides many paths to study graphic design. Options include a Communication BS with a Graphic Design concentration; a Communication, Media, and Design (CMD) BS; a Communication and Rhetoric MS, with a focus in Graphic or Human-Centered Design; a Graphic Design minor; and a 12-credit Graphic and Interactive Media Design pathway. Degree-seeking students have opportunities to complete an internship or co-op and study abroad in places such as India, Argentina, China, and Italy. Across all programs, students benefit from design workshops, the visiting artist series, and student organizations such as Rensselaer Studio of Design for America (DFA) and RPI Art Club. Graduates have established careers at places such as Lockheed Martin, Amazon, RTX, Google, Hasbro, IBM, Apple, Electronic Arts (EA), Northrop Grumman, and Epic Games.
