What are the top California illustration schools for 2025?
| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ArtCenter College of Design | Pasadena |
| 2 | California College of the Arts | San Francisco and Oakland |
| 3 | San Jose State University | San Jose |
| 4 | Otis College of Art and Design | Los Angeles |
| 5 | California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach |
| 6 | California State University, Fullerton | Fullerton |
| 7 | Institution's Ranking Temporarily Paused by Publisher | |
| 8 | Laguna College of Art and Design | Laguna Beach |
| 9 | California State University, Northridge | Northridge |
| 10 | California State University, Fresno | Fresno |
Our 2025 ranking of the top illustration schools in California. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
1. ArtCenter College of Design, Pasadena, California
ArtCenter College of Design (ArtCenter) houses an Illustration BFA program with five different tracks. Options include Fine Art Painting; Illustration Design; Entertainment Arts; Motion Design; and Surface Design. ArtCenter also provides a customizable Art MFA program, with private studios for each student and opportunities to participate in up to five exhibitions, including a solo show. BFA and MFA alumni have gone on to secure employment with places such as Apple, The New Yorker, Microsoft, The Los Angeles Times, Walt Disney Imagineering, BMW, Wieden+Kennedy (Tokyo), Google, Marvel Studios, Smithsonian Magazine, Riot Games, DreamWorks, Mattel, Adidas, Blizzard Entertainment, and Nike.
2. California College of the Arts, San Francisco and Oakland, California
California College of the Arts (CCA) houses an Illustration BFA program that culminates with a semester-long thesis project and a Senior Show that attracts local design professionals and artists from across the U.S. Throughout the program, students will work on collaborative projects in state-of-the-art production facilities and labs; tour local production studios; participate in critiques; and complete a professional practice course that focuses on how to start and run a freelance or small business. Graduates are prepared to pursue careers in fields such as illustration, graphic design, fine art, and animation.
3. San Jose State University, San Jose, California
The Department of Design at San Jose State University’s (SJSU) houses a Design Studies BA program with a concentration in Animation/Illustration, and an Animation and Illustration BFA program. Across programs students benefit from partnerships with studios such as Sony Pictures Animation, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), and DreamWorks; access to state-of-the-art production facilities and labs; immersive workshops; guest lecturers and speakers from major studios; and professional internships. Graduates have been hired at more than 135 animation, film, and game design studios. Examples include Pixar, Electronic Arts (EA), Sony Pictures, Blizzard Entertainment, NBCUniversal Studios, Disney Animation, Cartoon Network, Lucasfilm Animation, Nickelodeon, Zynga, and 20th Century Studios.
4. Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, California
The Communication Arts Department at Otis College of Art and Design (OTIS) has an Illustration BFA program that allows students to focus in one or more areas through more than a dozen minor options. Examples include Advertising Design, Book Arts, and Digital Media. Other program features include access to state-of-the-art facilities and labs; internships and study abroad experiences; field trips to studios and conventions; immersive workshops; and visiting lecturers and artists. Graduates have been hired at places such as Apple, Disney, Nike, Condé Nast, Ogilvy, LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), Mattel, Hallmark, Netflix, LA Weekly, Sony, WB Network, 20th Century Studios, and Target.
5. California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, California
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB or Cal State Long Beach) is home the College of the Arts (COTA). One of CSLUB’s largest and most popular colleges, COTA houses the School of Art (SoA), which has Art BFA and MFA programs with an Illustration option. Students in both programs have the unique opportunity to collaborate with students in the Animation program. In partnership with the Department of Biological Sciences, the SoA also houses an interdisciplinary Biomedical Illustration certificate that can be completed in just one year. CSULB Illustration graduates are prepared to pursue roles in areas such as animation, comic books, toy design, game art, graphic novels, advertising, and medical illustration.
6. California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, California
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF or Cal State Fullerton) is home to the College of the Arts. Within the college is the Department of Visual Arts, which houses the Art BFA, MA, and MFA programs with an Illustration concentration. All options provide unlimited access to state-of-the-art production studios, labs, and equipment. Students also benefit from intensive workshops and seminars; internship opportunities; visiting artists; and study abroad experiences. Programs culminate with a capstone project (BFA), creative project and presentation (MA), or project exhibition (MFA). Graduates have gone on to land roles with studios such as DreamWorks, Cartoon Network, The Walt Disney Company, Nickelodeon, and Lucasfilm.
7. Institution's Ranking Temporarily Paused by Publisher
8. Laguna College of Art and Design, Laguna Beach, California
Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD) has several paths to study illustration including the Illustration BFA; a Drawing and Painting BFA with an Illustration emphasis; and a Graphic Design and Digital Media (GD+DM) BFA with an Illustration emphasis. An Illustration minor is also available. Students benefit from courses taught by industry professionals; hands-on design projects with LCAD partners such as Sony and Nike; guest speakers; and internship opportunities. Across programs, graduates have been hired at places such as DreamWorks Animation, Marvel, Riot Games, Disney, Saatchi & Saatchi, Google, Blizzard Entertainment, Amazon, MGM, Sony, Pixar, Blizzard Entertainment, and Cartoon Network.
9. California State University, Northridge, Northridge, California
Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication at California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) houses the Department of Art. Within the department is an Art BA, and the Visual Arts MA or MFA. All students may add the Illustration concentration. Across programs, students benefit from club events and guest speakers; internships at major studios and galleries; portfolio reviews; opportunities to study abroad in places such as Italy and Japan; and student organizations such as the CSUN Illustration Society and IntersectLA (IXLA). CSUN alumni have been hired at places such as Disney, Microsoft, Amazon, NBC, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Netflix, Google, Paramount, MGM, Apple, and Fox Sports.
10. California State University, Fresno, Fresno, California
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is home to the College of Arts and Humanities, which houses the Department of Art and Design. Within the department is a Graphic Design BFA with an Illustration emphasis. Course examples include Illustration; Illustration Techniques; Advanced Illustration; Figure Drawing for Illustration; Digital Illustration Techniques; and Advanced Digital Illustration. All BFA students have the opportunity to complete an internship and study abroad. The program culminates with a final project and portfolio. Graduates are prepared to pursue positions in areas such as book and magazine publishing, advertising, galleries, animation, and games.