Top 20 Illustration Schools in the Midwest - 2025 College Rankings

College for Creative Studies (CCS) has an Illustration BFA program that provides opportunities to intern at places such as Disney, Insomniac Games, Ball Aerospace, Crispin, Mattel Inc., Reader’s Digest, Cartoon Network, and Hasbro. Electives for the program allow students to focus in a specific area of illustration. For students in other creative programs at CCS, an Illustration minor is also available. CCS Illustration graduates have gone on to land positions at places such as Disney, Nike, Blizzard Entertainment, The New York Times, Ford, Cartoon Network, The Washington Post, ESPN, and Converse. 

The Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is home to the College of Art, which houses BA and BFA degrees in Studio Art and Design with a major in Communication Design, and the Illustration + Visual Culture MFA (MFA-IVC). Communication Design students can craft an unofficial concentration in illustration through electives. Minors allow students to enhance the degree further by selecting courses in areas such as the illustrated book studio, drawing, and painting. Undergraduate programs culminate with a capstone displayed in a public exhibition and reviewed by art and design professionals. All MFA-IVC students will complete an internship and two final thesis courses to graduate. Program alumni go on to establish careers in all areas of art and design, publishing, advertising, and entertainment, among others. 

The Department of Illustration at Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is one of the school’s largest and fastest growing departments. Within the department is a BFA program that provides the opportunity to work in the on-campus agency, MICRO. Clients have included the Kansas City Royals and Children’s Mercy Hospital. All Illustration BFA students will also complete a mandatory internship with places such as The Kansas City Star, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Boulevard Brewing Company, and The American Jazz Museum. The program culminates with an exhibition. Graduates have been hired at major companies and studios such as Nickelodeon, Hallmark, Nike, American Greetings, and MTV.

The Illustration program at Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) consists of the Illustration BFA and the Life Sciences Illustration BFA. Students in both programs benefit from individual studio spaces; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; field trips to advertising agencies and professional studios; interactions with visiting artists; small-group seminars; and real world experiences through partnerships with clients such as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Graduates have gone on to publish children’s books, launch their own independent studios, and land positions at places such as Disney Animation Studios, the Olympic Games, Electronic Arts (EA), and Bethesda Game Studios. 

The Illustration programs at Columbia College Chicago (Columbia) explore traditional and digital illustration and visual storytelling. Leading to a BA or BFA, both programs expose students to figure drawing, cartooning, typography, painting, digital illustration, and the illustration business. The BA allows students to add a second major or minor such as Motion Graphics, Journalism, or Computer Animation. Programs culminate with a professional portfolio. Columbia graduates have been hired at places such as Walt Disney Animation Studios, The New Yorker, VICE Media, the Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, NASCAR, Chronicle Books, American Express, and WBEZ Chicago.

Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC) has a transdisciplinary Illustration program that allows students to explore additional areas such as animation, digital sculpture, motion graphics, printmaking, sound art, installation, and drawing. Students also benefit from summer internships in cultural centers such as New York City; seminars and immersive workshops; and study abroad experiences in places such as London and Hong Kong. The Senior Year Experience (SYE) is the culminating activity for the AAC Illustration BFA program. Graduates are prepared to pursue careers in areas such as publishing, animation, comics, game design, advertising, graphic design, architecture, and fine art. 

College of Design at Iowa State University (Iowa State) has customizable BA, BFA, and MFA programs and an Illustration minor that can be added to any major. In partnership with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), the College of Design also provides a Biological and Pre-Medical Illustration BA (BPMI BA), and a 17 credit hour BPMI minor. All options explore both traditional and scientific illustration. All College of Design students may participate in the Rome Program. Housed in Iowa State’s studio facilities at the historic Palazzo Cenci Bolognetti, this program provides the opportunity to collaborate with local design professionals in a fully licensed facility. Graduates go on to establish careers in areas such as children’s book publishing, animation, scientific and medical illustration, game design, and advertising. 

The College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) at Boise State University (BSU) is home to the Department of Art, Design and Visual Studies. Within the department is an Illustration BFA program that combines studios and seminars with courses that explore illustration, drawing, graphic design, and printmaking. The program culminates with the senior project and exhibition (or presentation). Graduates will enter the job market with a professional portfolio of their best work. Program alumni are prepared to pursue careers in fields such as book publishing, animation, cartooning, game art, advertising, film, architecture, packaging design, technical illustration, publishing, comic book design, fine art, and exhibit design. 

The College of Arts and Sciences at Northern Michigan University (NMU) houses the School of Art and Design. Within the school are Art and Design BA, BFA, BS, and AAA degrees with an Illustration concentration. Program benefits include opportunities to exhibit in DeVos Art Museum and the NMU Student Art Gallery; collaborative projects; access to new state-of-the-art studios; participation in critiques and discussions; and the opportunity to join to the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). Graduates are prepared to pursue roles in areas such as children’s book publishing, animation, game design, editorial, comics, advertising, graphic design, forensic illustration, storyboard art, fashion, textile design, architecture, and medical illustration. 

The College of Arts and Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UW-Eau Claire or UWEC) houses the Department of Art and Design. Within the department is an Integrative Visual Arts BFA program with an Illustration focus. Program benefits include field trips Chicago and New York; professional workshops and lectures by visiting artists; study abroad experiences in Paris or Rome; access to UW-Eau Claire Foster Gallery—the largest art gallery in the Eau Claire area; and student organizations such as the Graphic Communications Design Club and Art Student Association (ASA). UWEC alumni go on to land creative roles at places as Marvel Entertainment, IBM, Microsoft, and Hyatt Hotels.