Top 25 Graphic Design Schools and Colleges on the West Coast – 2026 College Rankings

The Graphic Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design houses a studio-rich Graphic Design (Gx) BFA that provides access to specialized facilities such as the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography (HMCT) and dedicated exhibition spaces such as the Graphic Design Gallery. A Gx MFA (MGx) with two- and three-year tracks is also available. The two-year track has internship and independent study options, and the three-year track features foundational design prep. All students have opportunities to study abroad at ArtCenter Berlin and work on campus at The Agency for real clients such as Netflix and Nike. Graduates can be found at places such as Sony Pictures, Microsoft, Google, Walt Disney Imagineering, Amazon, Riot Games, Nike, DreamWorks, Marvel Studios, The New Yorker, Dell, Netflix, and IDEO.

The School of the Arts and Architecture at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is home to the Department of Design Media Arts (DMA). Within the department is a limited-enrollment, technology-focused Design BA and a competitive three-year Media Arts MFA. A Design Communication Arts (DCA) certificate is available through UCLA Extension. Degree-seeking students benefit from studio courses; very small class sizes; professional internships; and study abroad experiences. The BA culminates with the Senior Capstone Project and Senior Exhibition. MFA students will complete a thesis project to be presented at the UCLA MFA Exhibition. Graduates can be found at places such as NBCUniversal, Apple, Riot Games, Microsoft, Nike, Getty Images, Netflix, Google, Disney, Amazon, Mattel, Deloitte, and Hulu. 

Roski School of Art and Design at the University of Southern California (USC Roski) houses a Design program with BFA and MFA pathways; a flexible BFA/MFA Design Progressive degree; and an Art BA with a Design track. A Communication Design minor is also available as well as an integrative Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation BS. Across programs, students have opportunities to intern at places such as the Getty Center and Disney. Other program highlights include hands-on studios led by industry professionals; study abroad experiences in places such as London, Shanghai, and Berlin; and access to state-of-the-art digital media facilities. USC Roski graduates can be found at places such as Pixar, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Microsoft, Google, IDEO, Amazon, Wieden+Kennedy, DreamWorks, Vogue, Apple, NBCUniversal, Nike, Disney, MTV, Paramount, Mattel, Gensler, and NVIDIA. 

The School of Art and Design at San Diego State University (SDSU) provides several paths to study graphic design. Options include a BA in Interactive Media and Graphic Design; a BA in Integrated Design; an Art MFA with a Graphic Design emphasis; and certificates in Graphic Design and Digital Arts. SDSU and ed2go have partnered to provide additional certificates in Graphic Design with Photoshop and Illustrator, and Multimedia Arts. All degree-seeking students benefit from the visiting lecture series; AIGA membership; access to digital imaging, video, and interactive media labs; and studios for book arts, letterpress, printmaking, and more. SDSU Design graduates can be found at places such as Google, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Amazon, Disney, Microsoft, Apple, Qualcomm, IBM, Intuit, and FASTSIGNS International. 

The Graphic Design BFA at San Jose State University (SJSU) is the only program of its kind at a public university in Silicon Valley. Established in 1969 and housed in the Department of Design, the program includes a mandatory internship and opportunities to work on community engagement projects. In addition, the BFA can be completed entirely online. Another option for aspiring graphic designers is the Design Studies BA with a Graphic Design specialization. Across programs, students benefit from collaborations with students in other majors, and lectures and workshops led by industry professionals. SJSU Graphic Design graduates have been hired at places such as NASA, Samsung, Microsoft, IDEO, Google, Disney, Amazon, Cisco, Apple, Lockheed Martin, Nike, NVIDIA, Adobe, and Chase. 

The Art and Design Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) has a Graphic Design concentration that highlights portfolio reviews by design professionals. Leading to an Art and Design BFA, the program explores UX/UI, packaging design, illustration, typography, identity design, and publication design. Cal Poly’s Graphic Communications Department offers a BS in Graphic Communication (GrC BS) with a Design Reproduction Technology concentration. The program focuses on the technical aspects of packaging, printing, and publishing. A GrC minor is also available. Across programs, graduates have been hired at places such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), NASA, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Mattel, Nike, Disney, Adidas, Patagonia, 3M, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The graphic design programs at California State University, Fullerton (Cal State Fullerton) are organized under the Department of Visual Arts in the College of the Arts. Options include the Graphic and Interactive Design BFA, MA, and MFA. Program highlights include internships at Disney, Honda, and Activision Blizzard, among others; portfolio critiques by notable artists and designers; immersive workshops and seminars; access to state-of-the-art labs and studios; professional career development services; and faculty-led study abroad experiences in Denmark, London, and Paris, to name a few. Visual Arts graduates have been recruited by places such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Cartoon Network, Amazon, PBS, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Sony, Lucasfilm, Savage X Fenty, Adobe, NBCUniversal, Apple, Disney, ABC, Electronic Arts (EA), The Los Angeles Times, Monster Energy, The Jim Henson Company, and Landor. 

The College of Liberal and Creative Arts at San Francisco State University (SFSU) houses the School of Design, which provides several paths to study graphic design. Options include a Visual Communication Design BS (VCD BS); a Design minor with a VCD pathway; and Design MA that focuses on interdisciplinary VCD. Highlights across programs include opportunities to intern at places such as Adidas, Google, and Hearst; access to DESIGNSPACE; collaborations with community organizations and industry partners; participation in specialized projects in interactive media, rapid letterpress printing, and bookbinding; and study abroad experiences at partner universities in London, Australia, and Ireland. Graduates can be found at places such as the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Amazon, Google, Apple, Cisco, Pottery Barn, Adobe, Oracle, Dropbox, Adidas, San Francisco Public Press, and Old Navy.

The College of Communications and Fine Arts (CFA) at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) houses an Art and Design BFA program with a concentration in Visual Communication (Graphic Design). Program highlights include professional internships at places such as Sony, Deutsch Advertising, and Hulu; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; portfolio workshops; and participation in the Senior Design Exhibit. Graduates have been hired at places such as Apple, Google, IDEO, Paramount Pictures, Disney, Hulu, Warner Bros., Netflix, United Airlines, Live Nation Entertainment, American Express, and YouTube

The College of Arts and Letters at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA), provides many paths to study graphic design. Housed in the school’s Department of Art, options include an Art BA with a Graphic Design/Visual Communication option; an Art MA with a Design option; and an Art MFA with a Design (Graphic Design/Visual Communication, Animation) option. All students benefit from collaborative activities across photography, studio art, and animation; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; opportunities to intern with partners such as the Getty Foundation and Warner Bros. Discovery; weekly exhibitions in the student-run COMA Gallery; and study abroad experiences in places such as Madrid, London, and Copenhagen. Graduates can be found at places such as Marvel, Amazon, DreamWorks, Nike, VML, 20th Century Studios, Sony, Gensler, Prologue Films, and Walmart. 

The Department of Art and Art History at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) provides several paths to study graphic design. Options include a Studio Art BA, BFA, and MFA, and an Art minor (Graphic Design and Digital Imaging). BFA and MFA students can concentrate in Graphic Design. Across programs, students benefit from collaborative projects; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; the guest artist series; and professional internship opportunities at places such as PBS Hawaiʻi, Wall-to-Wall Studios, and the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA). Many students receive employment offers at the end of these internships. Examples of other places that hire Studio Art graduates include Microsoft, Booz Allen Hamilton, Hawaiian Airlines, Anthology FINN Partners, Bank of Hawaii, MVNP, and iQ 360. 

The School of Art, Design and Art History at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) houses a Graphic Design BFA that incorporates illustration, typography, computer graphics, web design, and motion graphics. Other program highlights include paid internships through the school’s Andrew and Dorothea Perenchio Museum Studies Internship Program; immersive coursework led by notable industry designers; access to state-of-the-art production facilities; study abroad experiences in places such as Japan, Germany, and the UK; and the opportunity to exhibit final projects at the campus-based Phebe Conley Art Gallery. Graduates have been hired at places such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Amazon, Nexstar Media Group, Adidas, and Savage X Fenty.