| Ranking | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ArtCenter College of Design | California |
| 2 | San Jose State University | California |
| 3 | Otis College of Art and Design | California |
| 4 | California State University, Long Beach | California |
| 5 | California State University, Fullerton | California |
| 6 | Laguna College of Art and Design | California |
| 7 | Academy of Art University | California |
| 8 | Willamette University | Oregon |
| 9 | California State University, Northridge | California |
| 10 | Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University | Washington |
Our 2026 rankings of the Top 10 illustration schools on the west coast. For reference, we define the West as California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii, and Alaska. The criteria we used for the animation rankings consists, in no particular order, of the following: Academic reputation, Employment data, Admission selectivity, Depth and breadth of the program, Value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness, Graduation rate, and Retention rate. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
The Illustration BFA program at ArtCenter College of Design (ArtCenter) has five tracks. Options include Illustration Design; Entertainment Arts; Fine Art Painting; Motion Design; and Surface Design. For students seeking an advanced degree, the school has a customizable Art MFA program with private, individual studios, and the opportunity to participate in up to five exhibitions, including a solo show. Across programs, graduates have been hired at places such as Wieden+Kennedy, Google, Marvel Studios, Riot Games, DreamWorks, Apple, The Los Angeles Times, Disney, Nike, BMW, and Adidas.
The Department of Design at San Jose State University (SJSU) provides two paths to study illustration including an Animation and Illustration BFA, and the Design Studies BA with a specialization in Animation and Illustration. Thanks to partnerships with studios such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Sony, and DreamWorks, Design Department students have opportunities to intern with some of the world’s top production studios. Other program highlights include guest lecturers from major studios; immersive workshops; and access to state-of-the-art production facilities and labs. In addition to ILM, Sony, and DreamWorks, graduates are routinely hired at places such as Lucasfilm Animation, Electronic Arts (EA), Warner Bros., Disney, Blizzard Entertainment, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Pixar, and Riot Games.
Otis College of Art and Design (OTIS) has an Illustration BFA program that allows students to focus in multiple areas through electives and minors. Popular examples include Book Arts, Digital Media, and Advertising Design. Housed in the Communication Arts Department, the program also features field trips to conventions and production studios; visiting artists and lecturers; immersive workshops; access to state-of-the-art facilities and labs; and professional internships and study abroad experiences. Program alumni can be found at places such as Condé Nast, Hallmark, Ogilvy, Disney, WB Network, Nike, Apple, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Sony, Mattel, Netflix, LA Weekly, and 20th Century Studios.
The School of Art (SoA) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) houses the Art BFA and Studio Art MFA programs with an Illustration option. A one-year Biomedical Illustration certificate is also available. BFA and MFA students have the opportunity to focus in areas such as visual development, concept art, and storyboarding. They can also collaborate with students in the SoA Animation program. Graduates can be found at places such as DreamWorks, Penguin Random House, The New York Times, Disney, Blizzard Entertainment, DC Comics, Nickelodeon, Sony, Netflix, Warner Bros., Marvel, Hallmark, The Los Angeles Times, Simon & Schuster, Mattel, Wired, Nike, HarperCollins, and The Atlantic.
The College of the Arts at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) is home to the Department of Visual Arts, which houses the Art BFA and MFA programs with an Illustration concentration. Program highlights include immersive workshops; internships and study abroad experiences; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; seminars; and visiting artists. Graduates can be found at places such as Electronic Arts (EA), Lucasfilm, Penguin Random House, DreamWorks, Blizzard Entertainment, Cartoon Network, Riot Games, Disney, Nickelodeon, Hasbro, Netflix, Marvel, and Dark Horse Comics.
Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD) provides several paths to study illustration. Options include an Illustration BFA; a BFA in Drawing and Painting with an Illustration emphasis; a Graphic Design and Digital Media (GD+DM) BFA with an Illustration emphasis; and an Illustration minor. Courses for all programs are taught by industry professionals, combined with hands-on design projects with LCAD partners such as Nike and Sony. Students also benefit from professional internship opportunities and engagement with guest artists and designers. Graduates have been hired at places such as Blizzard Entertainment, HarperCollins, DreamWorks, Epic Games, Pixar, Nike, Google, Hasbro, Simon & Schuster, Marvel, Cartoon Network, Rockstar Games, Saatchi & Saatchi, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts (EA).
The School of Illustration at Academy of Art University (Academy of Art) provides multiple paths to study illustration that can be completed entirely online. Options include a certificate, AA, BFA, MA, and MFA. Across programs, students have opportunities to work on collaborative projects with working designers and artists and complete a professional internship. Other program highlights include guest lecturers and speakers; the opportunity to work with WRiTE BRAiN BOOKS; and study abroad experiences in Florence, Italy. Graduates have gone on to establish careers at places such as The New York Times, DreamWorks, Marvel, The New Yorker, Penguin Random House, National Geographic, Riot Games, and DC Comics.
Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) at Willamette University has an Illustration BFA program that provides internship opportunities at places such as Nike, Wieden+Kenedy, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Other program highlights include immersive workshops; access to state-of-the-art production facilities such as the WACOM Lab, Digital Fine Art Printing Lab, and Make+Think+Code; and the opportunity to present final projects at the Annual End-of-Year Showcase at a downtown Portland gallery. Graduates can be found at places such as Cartoon Network, The New York Times, HarperCollins, Nintendo, The Met, Portland Trail Blazers, DC Comics, Nike, Google, Adidas, Adobe, Netflix, LAIKA, and Scholastic.
Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication at California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is home to the Department of Art. Within the department is an Illustration concentration open to students in the Art BA/BFA programs, and the Visual Arts MA/MFA programs. All students may join the CSUN Illustration Society and IntersectLA (IXLA); complete an internship; attend club events; and study abroad in Japan or Italy. CSUN alumni have been hired at places such as IDEO, DreamWorks, Wolff Olins, Apple, Universal Pictures, Amazon, Disney, Microsoft, Netflix, Warner Bros., Google, Atlassian, Sony, American Express, the LA Phil, Autodesk, Honda, Paramount, and Fox.
Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University (formerly Cornish College of the Arts) provides several paths to study illustration. Options include the broad and flexible Illustration BA (launching fall 2027); the studio-based Illustration BFA; and an Illustration minor (launching fall 2027) for Game Art, Fine Art, and Animation majors, among others. Across programs, students benefit from small class sizes; study abroad in places such as Bali, Indonesia and Seoul, South Korea; and internships with local design firms. Illustration BFA graduates can be found at places such as Nintendo, Pike Street Press, Amazon, Twitch, Microsoft, Sucker Punch Productions, Getty Images, Valve Corporation, Bungie, and Dark Horse Comics.
