Did you know? Savannah College of Art and Design alumni work at top companies around the globe like Apple, IBM, Ralph Lauren, Under Armour, and Verizon. Learn more.
What are the top Georgia graphic design schools for 2022?
| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah |
| 2 | University of Georgia | Athens |
| 3 | Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw |
Our 2022 ranking of the top graphic design school programs in Georgia. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
1. Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has a Graphic Design Program that offers degrees at all levels. Graphic Design students have the option to complete a BA, BFA, MA or MFA at campuses in Savannah or Atlanta, and online. Program features include courses taught by industry professionals from companies such as Hasbro, Google, and Airbnb, access to events such as SCADstyle, which attracts the biggest names in modern design, fashion, and global art, and individual critiques and mentoring by top professionals in the design industry.
All SCAD Graphic Design options offer the opportunity to add a minor to enhance the degree. Some of the most popular choices include Advertising, Mobile and Interactive Design, Advertising Copywriting, Mobile and Interactive Design, Advertising and Branding, and User Experience Design. Undergraduate students may also add a certificate such as Digital Publishing.
Graduates of the Graphic Design Program at Savannah College of Art go on to establish careers at major companies such as Apple, Verizon, IBM, Under Armour, and Ralph Lauren. Some program alumni have gone on to launch their own design studios, while others have established successful freelance careers.
Savannah College of Art and Design is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). 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.
Offering more than 100 degree programs and over 75 minors and certificate programs, Savannah College of Art and Design has more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design college in the U.S.
2. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
The Franklin College of Arts & Sciences at University of Georgia (UGA) houses the Lamar Dodd School of Art, which has both undergraduate and graduate programs for designers. The BFA in Fine Arts has Graphic Design, Photography & Expanded Media, Printmaking & Book Arts, and Scientific Illustration Concentrations. All concentrations require successful completion of the Franklin College Core and Area VI coursework. Course examples include Art History, Color and Composition, Drawing, Professional Seminar, and Three-Dimensional Design.
Students in the Graphic Design Concentration have opportunities to study in other associated subject areas through design focus tracks and electives. To create a track, BFA students may choose nine credit hours from the following courses: Art, Design & Architectural History, Communications & Media, Cultural Studies, Interaction & Computing, Marketing & Strategy, and Studio Art & Design. Elective examples include Data Visualization, Graphic Design Field Study, Internship in Art, and Topics in Digital Platforms & Dynamic Media I.
For students interested in a design minor, the UGA Dodd School offers a Digital Design + Media Minor consisting of 15 credit hours. With nine hours of upper division coursework, the program focuses on Graphic Design, Photography, and Time-Based Media.
Another option for designers is the Interdisciplinary Art & Design AB (BA). Program features include the Area VI coursework, experiential learning (study abroad in Cortona, Costa Rica, Ghana or field study), and the option to complete a minor, certificate program or double major in a field outside of the Dodd School of Art. The Interdisciplinary Art & Design AB requires 122 credit hours to graduate.
For graduate students, the Lamar Dodd School of Art at University of Georgia offers an MFA in Printmaking and Book Arts. Students in this program can take Area VI coursework, and study graphic design through electives. Other program features include private MFA studios with natural lighting and large windows, 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. The Printmaking and Book Arts Program is also offered at the undergraduate level. The program leads to a BFA.
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, publishers, and more. Examples of companies that have hired UGA graduates include IBM Design, Meta (formerly Facebook), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, CNN & Turner Broadcasting, Bustle, Gensler, Free People, and Aveda.
University of Georgia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Established in 1785 and the state’s flagship institution, UGA 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.
3. Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw State University’s (KSU) School of Art and Design (SOAAD) serves more than 1,200 students enrolled in more than a dozen programs and concentrations leading to a BFA or MA. For students interested in graphic design, SOAAD offers has 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.
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.
Course examples for the Graphic Communications Program include Advertising and Packaging, Typography I-II, Interactive Media Design, Web Design for Artists, Electronic Illustration, Pre-Press, Publication Design, 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 Senior Art Seminar and Exhibition.
Graduates of the Art Programs at Kennesaw State University go on to establish careers as Graphic Designers, Graphic Artists, Multimedia Artists, Book Designers, UI/UX Designers, Brand Managers, Art Directors, and Packaging Designers, among others.
Kennesaw State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Founded in 1963 as a junior college, KSU serves nearly 43,000 students enrolled in over 170 degree programs in 11 colleges and KSU Journey Honors College. Kennesaw State University is one of top 50 largest public colleges in the U.S.