| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah |
| 2 | University of Georgia | Athens |
| 3 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro |
| 4 | Georgia State University | Atlanta |
| 5 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw |
Our 2023 ranking of the top graphic design school programs in Georgia. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
The Graphic Design Program at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) provides degree options at all levels. Students can enroll in a BA, BFA, MA or MFA program at campuses in Savannah or Atlanta, and online. A Graphic Design Minor consisting of 25 credit hours is also available. Across all programs, students benefit from courses taught by industry professionals from companies such as Google, Hasbro, and Airbnb; individual critiques and mentoring by top professionals in the design industry; and access to events such as SCADstyle, which attracts the biggest names in modern design, fashion, and global art.
All SCAD Graphic Design options offer the opportunity to add a minor to enhance the degree. Examples include Advertising, Mobile and Interactive Design, Advertising Copywriting, Mobile and Interactive Design, Advertising and Branding, and User Experience Design. Students may also add the Digital Publishing Certificate. Undergraduates may choose up to 20 hours of electives, which provides additional opportunities to develop skills in multiple areas of art and design. At every degree level, SCAD students have the opportunity to complete an internship at a local, regional, national, or global company.
Graduates of the Graphic Design Program at Savannah College of Art and Design go on to establish careers in Graphic Design, Branding, Package Design, UX Design, Mobile App Design, and Interactive Design.
Program alumni have been hired at Disney, Apple, Google, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Reddit, Hulu, Riot Games, Stripe, Groupon, Yelp, Verizon, IBM, Facebook, Live Nation, Airbnb, Under Armour, and Ralph Lauren. Some program alumni have gone on to launch their own design studios, while others have established successful freelance careers.
Providing more than 100 degree program options and over 75 minors and certificate programs, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has more programs and specializations than any other art and design college in the U.S. Founded in 1978, the school opened in 1979 with just 71 students, one classroom, and an administration building. Today, SCAD serves more than 15,000 students across campuses in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, and Lacoste, France. Savannah College of Art and Design is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
University of Georgia (UGA) is home to Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, which houses Lamar Dodd School of Art. Within the School of Art are several paths to study Graphic Design. Options include the Fine Arts BFA, the Interdisciplinary Art & Design AB (BA), the Printmaking and Book Arts BFA and MFA, and the Digital Design + Media Minor.
The Fine Arts BFA at UGA has Graphic Design, Photography & Expanded Media, Printmaking & Book Arts, and Scientific Illustration Concentrations. The curriculum for the Graphic Design Concentration explores areas such as color techniques, graphic survey, typography, electronic design, layout, three-dimensional design, illustration, and photography. Because the program encourages an interdisciplinary approach to design, students have opportunities to select courses from other departments and schools outside the School of Art.
The Interdisciplinary Art & Design AB (BA) Program includes experiential learning opportunities such as study abroad in Cortona, Costa Rica, or Ghana, and the option to complete a minor, certificate program or double major in a field outside the Dodd School of Art. The Interdisciplinary Art & Design AB requires 122 credit hours to graduate.
The Printmaking and Book Arts BFA and MFA Programs provide access to state-of-the-art equipment to produce print, paper and book arts media; and the multifunctional Project Space for installing, staging, critiquing, and exhibiting work. MFA students have access to private studios with natural lighting, large windows, and ample ventilation. The BFA requires 120 credits to graduate and the MFA requires a minimum of 67 credit hours to graduate.
Graduates of the Art and Design Programs at University of Georgia work in a variety of positions at creative firms, retailers, broadcasting companies, magazines, museums, and publishers. Companies that have hired UGA graduates include Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS), IBM Design, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Meta, Aveda, Bustle, Free People, and Gensler.
Chartered by the state of Georgia in 1785, University of Georgia is the nation’s first state university. The school serves more than 40,000 students enrolled in 379 degree programs across 17 colleges and schools. Established in 1910, the Graduate School houses 250 of UGA’s 379 degree programs. University of Georgia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The College of Arts and Humanities (CAH) at Georgia Southern University (Georgia Southern) houses the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art (BFSDoArt)—home to the Graphic Design Program. Four options are available including Art BFA and MFA degrees and Minors in Graphic Design or Graphic Communications. The BFA and MFA Programs allow students to declare a Concentration in Graphic Design. Students in all pathways have opportunities to complete projects in the Georgia Southern Arts Building, which houses several Mac computer labs, a photography studio with green screens, SLR digital cameras, and plotters and printers.
The Graphic Design BFA requires 124 credit hours of study across Art History, Studio Art, the Concentration, and Electives. Course examples include Print, Paper, Book Arts: Introduction, New Media Design, Visual Thinking in Graphic Design, 3D Animation, Typography I-II, Design Theory, Web Page Design, Graphic Design Methods, Digital Dimensions, and Professional Practices.
Although it is not a requirement, the BFA Graphic Design Internship is highly recommended. This experiential experience allows students to apply their skills and learn practices of the profession through professional experience in Graphic Design. The Internship is worth three credit hours.
In the final year of Graphic Design BFA Program at Georgia Southern University, students will complete the Graphic Design Portfolio course and Professional Portfolio. Student work will be presented to the public during an exhibition.
The Graphic Design Minor at Georgia Southern requires 18 credit hours, including nine hours of required courses and nine hours of electives. Course examples include Design Systems, Typography I-II, Visual Thinking in Graphic Design, Digital Art and Design Foundations, and New Media Design.
The Graphic Communications Minor requires 15 credit hours, including Digital Art and Design Foundations (three credits), nine credits in upper division courses, and three credits in Art courses. Course examples include Color Management and Reproduction, Selected Topics in Graphic Communications, Digital and On-Demand Publishing, Print, Paper, Book Arts: Introduction, and Planning, Finishing, and Estimating.
The MFA Program at Georgia Southern University provides students with their own private studio space to create their graduate projects and an extensive professional portfolio. Consisting of 60 credit hours, this terminal degree program includes 36 credit hours in Studio coursework. Design & Semiotics, Design of Information, Design Systems, Design Explorations, Design Activism, and Design for the User are just a few course titles.
Throughout the BFSDoArt MFA Program, students will participate in faculty reviews of their creative work. The MFA Program at Georgia Southern University culminates with the Thesis Exhibition, Support Paper, and Oral Defense of Exhibition and Paper.
Graduates of the Graphic Design Programs at Georgia Southern University are prepared to pursue positions in all areas of Art and Design across a variety of industries. Georgia Southern alumni have been hired at companies, studios, and organizations across the state of Georgia and the U.S. Examples include Amazon, Boeing, DoorDash, Kohl’s, Duke Health, United States Forest Service, Elite Resort Group, Deloitte Consulting, Cisco, Baker Hughes, Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Memorial University Medical Center, and Manhattan Associates.
Georgia Southern University is Georgia’s largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta. Founded in 1906, the school serves approximately 25,505 students across three state campuses including the main campus in Statesboro, the Armstrong campus in Savannah, and the Liberty campus in Hinesville. Students at Georgia Southern have access to 141 different bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs across eight colleges. Georgia Southern University is accredited by the Commission on Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Georgia State University (GSU) houses the College of the Art, home to the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design. Within the school is a Graphic Design Concentration leading to a Studio BFA or a Design MFA. BFA Program features include 24/7 access to studios, facilities, and student labs; the Visiting Artist & Scholar Lecture Series, which attracts speakers from across the country and around the world; year-round exhibitions in Welch School Galleries & student-run galleries; and access to the Creative Media Center (CMC), which houses camera equipment, Wacom tablets, and other electronic items.
The GSU Studio BFA requires 120 credit hours, with 51 in the Graphic Design Concentration. Students in the BFA Program will take courses such as Motion Design and Time-Based Media, Corporate Identity Design, Graphic Design Through Advertising, Print and Editorial Design, Specialized Applications of Graphic Design, Book Arts, Advanced Computer Graphics Programming, and Screen Print and Experimental Printmaking. Students will complete a professional portfolio of their best work and participate in the BFA Senior Group Exhibition.
The Design MFA at Georgia State University is ideal for experienced designers seeking a multidisciplinary degree. Program features include individual, dedicated studios; 24-hour access shared studio spaces; full tuition waivers and monthly stipends as part of assistantships; one-on-one mentorship with faculty; and access to competitive fellowships, including the premium Welch fellowships. The fellowships fund students for the entire three years of study, in addition to the students' regular stipend and full tuition waiver.
The Design MFA Program requires 72 credit hours, with 30 credits in Studio-specific courses and six in electives. Courses consists of a combination of Graduate Studios, Design Seminars, Design Practice, Art History, and the intensive Thesis work. Upon completion of the Thesis, MFA students will show their work at an Exit Show, Lecture, Screening, or Presentation.
Graduates of the Graphic Design Programs at Georgia State University are prepared for careers in Advertising and Marketing, Art Education, Contemporary Art, Design and Art Entrepreneurship, and many others. Program alumni Graphic Designers, Creative Directors, Multimedia Artists, Advertising Designers, Brand Managers, Curators, Packaging Designers, Exhibit Designers, Web Designers, Book Designers, Art Administrators, and Educators.
Founded in 1913, Georgia State University is a public research institution that serves 52,000+ students across six campuses throughout Metro Atlanta. At the Atlanta Campus, Georgia State provides more than 250 degree programs in 100 fields of study, which is the widest variety of academic offerings in the state. Programs at Georgia State are housed across 11 colleges and schools. Georgia State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University houses the School of Art and Design (SOAAD), which serves more than 1,200 students enrolled in more over a dozen degrees, concentrations, and minors. SOAAD also houses the Zuckerman Museum of Art (ZMA), which hosts exhibitions that are open to the public as well as arts, arts education, and professional development activities for students.
Other SOAAD features include visiting artists, internship opportunities, summer art intensives, and the KSU partnership with ESA Saint-Luc in Bruxells, Belgium. This study abroad program provides unique opportunities such as the Comics curriculum at ESA St. Luc Brussels.
For individuals interested in studying Graphic Design, SOAAD has an Art BFA Program with a Concentration in Graphic Communications. Consisting of 120 credit hours, the program provides the opportunity to concentrate in other areas such as Illustration, Painting and Drawing, Sequential Art, Photography and Video, Printmaking, and Textile and Surface Design. Courses for the program are hands-on and include Electronic Illustration, Interactive Media Design, Advertising and Packaging, Typography I-II, Publication Design, Computer Applications in Art, 2D and 3D, Concept, Creativity, and Studio Practices, Motion Graphics, and Drawing I-II.
In the last year of the KSU Graphic Communications Program, students will complete the Design Practicum course, worth three credits, and the Senior Art Seminar and Exhibition.
More than 7,100 companies recruited KSU graduates in 2020 alone. Graduates of the Art Programs at Kennesaw State University are Graphic Designers, Graphic Artists, Brand Managers, Packaging Designers, Book Designers, UI/UX Designers, Art Directors, and Production Artists, among others. KSU alumni have been hired at a variety of companies such as Turner Broadcasting Company, Apple, Cartoon Network, Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Nike, Kroger, The Walt Disney Company, KPMG, Warner Media, Cox Communications, Macy’s, Delta Airlines, Coca0Cola, Microsoft, and the Atlanta Braves.
Founded in 1963 as a junior college, Kennesaw State University is part of the University System of Georgia. The school serves 39,005 students, making it one of top 50 largest public colleges in the U.S. More than 170 degree programs in Arts, Business, Nursing, STEM fields, Cybersecurity and more are provided across two campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta, Georgia, 11 colleges, and KSU Journey Honors College. Kennesaw State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
