| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland State University | Portland |
| 2 | Oregon State University | Corvallis |
Our 2024 ranking of the top graphic design school programs in Oregon. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Serving approximately 2,700 students, the College of the Arts at Portland State University (PSU) is the largest art school in the Pacific Northwest. Within the college are the Schools of Architecture; Film; Music and Theater; and Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design. The Schnitzer School houses the Graphic Design BFA program and a 32 credit hour Graphic Design minor.
The School of Business at Portland State University houses an Advertising Management (AM) minor for Graphic Design majors. This 24 credit hour program provides opportunities to work with real clients through the Creative Strategy and Advertising Campaigns courses and in the on-campus advertising agency FIR. Electives allow students to develop skills in digital media, social media, and portfolio development.
Graduates of the AM minor are prepared to pursue roles the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Potential careers include Graphic Designer, Brand Designer, Art Director, Production Designer, UX Designer, Multimedia Designer, Digital Designer, Packaging Designer, Creative Director, and Web Designer.
The Graphic Design BFA at Portland State University provides the opportunity to work on projects for real clients through the Schnitzer School’s in-house studio A + D Projects. Students also benefit from professional off-campus internships; field trips; the peer mentorship program; the Matthias Kemeny Endowed Design Lecture Series; professional portfolio development courses; and access to more than 200 study abroad programs. Examples include Art History in Rome, Mixed Media and Printmaking in Guanajuato, Mexico, and Berlin: The Fall and Rise of an Art City.
Consisting of 180 credits, the Graphic Design BFA requires courses such as Design Process; Show and Tell; Digital Graphics; Typography I-II; Digital Imaging and Illustration; Interaction Design Principles; Foundations in Motion, UI, and UX; Storytelling and Narrative; Information Design; and Brand Lab.
Each spring, PSU Graphic Design students will take what they’ve learned so far and participate in the student showcase Be Honest. This allows them to present their work to design professionals during all phases of the program.
In the final year of the Graphic Design BFA at PSU, students will complete the Design Thesis I-II, and Design Portfolio courses, and participate in Fresh—the A + D Graphic Design Senior Showcase. The event allows students to continue networking, display their work, and get additional feedback from industry professionals.
Graduates of the Graphic Design program at Portland State University are prepared to pursue titles such as Graphic Designer, Publication Designer, Brand and Identity Designer, Motion Graphics Designer, Interactive Designer, Art Director, User Interface Designer, Illustrator, Design Manager, App Designer, Web and Mobile Designer, Product Designer, and Environmental Designer.
Program alumni have been hired at places such as Wieden+Kennedy, R/GA, Nike, Apple, IBM, Nordstrom, IDEO, Adidas, Dropbox, Buzzfeed, Snapchat, and Spotify. Others have found success at design studios such as OMFCO, Jolby, Sandstrom, and Instrument. Some PSU Design alumni have gone on to launch their own design studios, product lines, or freelance carers.
Portland State University opened in the summer of 1946 with 220 students. Today, PSU serves 21,040 students enrolled in more than 200 degree programs across nine colleges and schools. Portland State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
The College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University (OSU or Oregon State) is home to the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts. Within the school is a Graphic Design (GD) program with BFA and Honors BFA (HBFA) options. Consisting of 180 credit hours, this professional program includes a nine-month, seven credit hour senior capstone project that will be presented at the school’s Year-End Capstone Showcase.
Course examples for the program include Introduction to the Visual Ats; Graphic Design: Collaborative Process; 2D Core Studio; Graphic Design History; Typography 1-3; Process: Making and Meaning; Graphic Design Pro Application; Contemporary Issues in Design; Interactive Design 1-2; Graphic Design Technology and Production 1-2; and Graphic Design: Professional Development.
BFA and HBFA students may focus in other areas of art and design through the required 32 elective credit hours for the program.
Graduates of the Graphic Design BFA program at Oregon State University are prepared to pursue careers in areas such as advertising; branding and visual design; public relations; publication design (newspapers, magazines, catalogs); exhibition design; marketing; UX-UI (web, mobile app design, interaction); package design; motion graphics; poster design; print media; and information design.
Founded in 1856 as Corvallis Academy, Oregon State University is one of just three land-, sea-, space-, and sun-grant universities in the U.S. Serving approximately 36,635 students, OSU has 12 experiment stations and campuses in Corvallis, Bend, Portland, Newport, and LaGrande, Oregon. Students at Oregon State have access to more than 200 academic programs across 11 colleges and hundreds of online degrees through the OSU Ecampus Program. The school also provides more than 36 extension programs across all 36 Oregon counties.
Oregon State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
