| Ranking | School | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | School of Visual Arts | New York |
| 2 | Rhode Island School of Design | Rhode Island |
| 3 | ArtCenter College of Design | California |
| 4 | Ringling College of Art and Design | Florida |
| 5 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Georgia |
| 6 | Pratt Institute | New York |
| 7 | The New School | New York |
| 8 | California College of the Arts | California |
| 9 | Brigham Young University | Utah |
| 10 | College for Creative Studies | Michigan |
| 11 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Minnesota |
| 12 | Maryland Institute College of Art | Maryland |
| 13 | Otis College of Art and Design | California |
| 14 | Syracuse University | New York |
| 15 | Washington University in St. Louis | Missouri |
| 16 | Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design | Wisconsin |
| 17 | Kansas City Art Institute | Missouri |
| 18 | Columbus College of Art and Design | Ohio |
| 19 | Cleveland Institute of Art | Ohio |
| 20 | Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design | Colorado |
| 21 | Willamette University | Oregon |
| 22 | Institution's Ranking Temporarily Paused by Publisher | |
| 23 | Laguna College of Art and Design | California |
| 24 | Pennsylvania College of Art and Design | Pennsylvania |
| 25 | University of Miami | Florida |
Our 2025 list of the Top 25 Private Illustration Schools in the US. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
School of Visual Arts (SVA) provides several paths to study illustration including a Comics BFA, Illustration BFA, and Illustration as Visual Essay MFA. All students have opportunities to participate in exhibitions at SVA’s Chelsea Gallery; enter competitions hosted by Graphis Inc., and the Society of Illustrators; and work with publications such as The New Yorker and The Village Voice. SVA Comics and Illustration graduates have gone on the establish careers in fields such as advertising, graphic design, book publishing, packaging, animation, greeting card design, printmaking, fine art, and fashion design.
With approximately 300 undergraduate students, the Illustration BFA at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is the schools largest program. In 2022, the school launched a two-year, 60-credit Illustration MFA designed for students seeking leadership roles in art or academia. All students have access to RISD Museum, Woods-Gerry Gallery, and many others; Fleet Library; and labs such as the Color Lab, Co-Nature Lab, and Works Research Lab. Graduates have been hired at places such as DreamWorks, HBO, and Pixar. Some RISD alumni have also gone on to launch their own studios and freelance businesses.
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.
The Illustration Department at Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) has an Illustration BFA program with two paths including General Illustration and Visual Development. To enhance the program, students can add a minor such as Graphic Design or Creative Writing. Other program benefits include 24/7 access to Cintiq labs and drawing studios; internships with places such as Pixar and Hasbro; and the opportunity to work at RCAD’s In-House Design firm the Design Center. Program alumni have been hired at places such as Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Apple, Cartoon Network, Hallmark, EA Games, Google, American Greetings, Riot Games, Abercrombie & Fitch, Disney, Hasbro, United Airlines, and GM.
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) provides BA, BFA, MA, and MFA degrees in illustration. Across programs, students can enhance the curriculum through electives or by adding a minor such as Advertising and Branding or Scientific Illustration. The BFA also requires a concentration in Dynamic Illustration and Publication; Illustration for Surface Design; or Visual Development. The MFA highlights features two graduate internships and all SCAD students have the opportunity to spend a quarter abroad at SCAD Lacoste or other location. SCAD Illustration graduates have landed positions at places such as The New York Times, Walt Disney Imagineering, A&E, Bento Box Entertainment, and Converse.
The School of Art at Pratt Institute (Pratt) houses an Illustration AOS program and a Graphic Design/Illustration AAS program. Established in 2014, Pratt’s School of Design houses a Communications Design BFA with an emphasis in Illustration. Across programs, students benefit from courses taught by industry insiders; access to state-of-the-art maker spaces and labs; internships; study abroad experiences in Berlin or the UK; and intensive portfolio development courses. Graduates have been hired at places such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Amazon, DreamWorks, Scholastic, Disney, Cartoon Network, Penguin Random House, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Gameloft, and Hasbro.
The New School is home to Parsons School of Design (Parsons). Within Parsons is the School of Art, Media, & Technology (AMT), which provides an Illustration BFA program that allows students to add a minor such as Immersive Storytelling or enroll in a dual BA/BFA. Students also benefit from internships with Apple, Nickelodeon, or The New York Times, among others; access to the state-of-the-art Making Center; and participation in events such as Comic Arts Brooklyn and MoCCA Fest. Program alumni have been hired at places such as Rockstar Games, The New York Times, Urban Outfitters, LAIKA, The Society of Illustrators, Vice Media, Viking Books, Tiffany & Company, Amplify, and Brooklyn Print House.
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.
The College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) at Brigham Young University (BYU) houses the Department of Design. Within the Department is a Limited Enrollment (LEP) Illustration BFA program that accepts just 40 students per academic year. With courses such as 3D Digital Illustration, Sketchbook, and Narrative Illustration, this 120 credit hour program culminates with the BFA Illustration Capstone Project. Graduates go on to secure roles in advertising, publishing, medical and scientific illustration, entertainment, exhibition design, architecture, fashion design, and mural production. Some program alumni have also gone on to launch their own creative studios or freelance businesses.
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.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) has an Illustration BFA program that highlights hands-on coursework and the option to focus in any area of Illustration. Examples include children’s book illustration; courtroom illustration; illustration for entertainment (animation and games); comic book illustration; surface design; product illustration; advertising illustration; and editorial illustration. Students may also select a minor such as Graphic Design. The program culminates with a senior project and presentation. Graduates enjoy a 93% employment rate, with nearly 60% of all MCAD alumni landing positions in their chosen field.
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) has several paths to study Illustration including an Illustration BFA with Preproduction and Sequential Art tracks; an Illustration MA; the Illustration Practice MFA; and an Illustration minor. All students benefit from MICA’s relationships with organizations such as the Museum of Comics and Cartoon Arts, Baltimore Comic-Con, the Small Press Expo, and the Toronto Comics Art Festival. Graduates have freelanced for or been hired at places such as DreamWorks Animation, DC Comics, The New York Times, Pixar, Johns Hopkins Institute of Nanobiology, Google, Apple, National Geographic, and Anthropologie. Some Illustration alumni have also gone on to launch their own independent studios.
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.
The College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) at Syracuse University (SU) houses the School of Art. Within the school are BFA and MFA degrees in illustration with opportunities to attend MoCCAFest in New York, study abroad in Florence, Italy, or spend a semester in Los Angeles through the VPA LA Semester program. BFA students may focus in areas such as Editorial or Visual Development. In addition to exhibition opportunities on campus and in New York, MFA students have opportunities to interact with professionals within the arts and publishing industries. SU VPA graduates have been hired at places such as Apple, CBS, Netflix, Louis Vuitton, ESPN, Macy’s, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Haddad Brands.
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.
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) has an Illustration BFA program that highlights collaborative projects with real clients, professional internships, and degree-enhancing minors such as Book Arts, Advertising, and Digital Media Production. The program culminates with the Illustration Thesis Project, Portfolio, and student-designed MIAD Exhibition. In addition to creating works for The New Yorker, HBO, Amazon Studios, Time, Nike, and Variety, MIAD illustration graduates have landed positions at places such as Hallmark, Estée Lauder, Walt Disney Animation, Harley-Davidson, Kohl’s Corporate, Milwaukee Public Television, and Kimberly-Clark. Some graduates have also gone on to launch their own agencies and studios such as THIEL Design and Studio8Design.
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.
Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) has an Illustration BFA program that gives all students the opportunity to work with professional comic writers and artists on the design, merchandising, and sale of the student publication Spitball: A CCAD Comics Anthology. Students will also work with storytellers, animators, comic artists, and professional writers through Cartoon Crossroads Columbus. The CCAD Illustration BFA program culminates with the Illustration Capstone. Graduates go on to land positions at places such as Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Ogilvy, Marvel Comics, Boeing, Hallmark, Disney, Sony Pictures, DC Comics, The Wall Street Journal, Hasbro, Cartoon Network, and American Greetings.
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.
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) houses an Illustration BFA program that can be completed on campus or online. An online Illustrative Design BFA is also available. The Illustration BFA has concentrations in Children’s Books, Concept Art, and Sequential Art. The Illustrative Design BFA explores technology, design thinking, graphic design, and illustration. All students benefit from small class sizes; internship opportunities; access to industry standard software and facilities; and collaborative projects with professional Illustrators. Graduates are prepared to pursue roles in areas such as advertising, graphic design, animation, book publishing, cartooning, game art, and comics.
Willamette University is home to Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), Within the college is an Illustration BFA program that provides internship opportunities with major companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo, Wieden+Kennedy, and Nike. Other program benefits include a curriculum that explores traditional studio media and emerging technologies and access to state-of-the-art labs and studios such as the WACOM Lab and Make+Think+Code—a technology lab that provides additional facilities, digital tools, and technology, along with classes and workshops. The program culminates with the Annual End-of-Year Showcase at a downtown Portland gallery. Graduates have gone on to work with places such as Disney, The New Yorker, DC Comics, Google, The Met, NBC, and The Washington Post.
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.
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (PCA&D) has an Illustration BFA program that allows students to select a concentration (Contemporary or Classical); a minor such as Animation and Game Art or Graphic Design; and/or a certificate such as Packaging Design, Filmmaking, Live Experience Design and Production, or UX/UI Design. Other Illustration BFA features include participation in the PCA&D mentorship program; the annual Design in a Day event; and a required internship off-campus or through PCA&D’s in-house internship program—The Agency. Graduates have worked for clients such as Hasbro, Disney, The Wall Street Journal, A&E Network, PBS Kids, Adidas, HBO, and ESPN.
The College of Arts and Sciences (C&S) at University of Miami (UofM) houses the Department of Art and Art History, home to the Studio Art MFA with a focus in Digital Imaging/Illustration + Multimedia. Students in this program will work and learn in state-of-the-art computer labs and studio spaces; attend seminars and participate in critiques; interact with visiting lecturers; and take field trips to businesses and museums. The Studio Art MFA culminates with the Thesis and Exhibition. Graduates are prepared to pursue leadership roles in areas such as publishing, game design, animation, advertising, fine art, graphic design, consulting, and art education.
