What are the top Washington graphic design schools for 2026?
| Ranking | School | City | Ranking by Region | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington | Seattle | #4 on West Coast | #18 |
| 2 | Western Washington University | Bellingham | #20 on West Coast | Unranked |
| 3 | Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University | Seattle | #22 on West Coast | Unranked |
Our 2026 ranking of the top graphic design school programs in Washington. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
1. University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
The School of Art + Art History + Design at the University of Washington (UW) houses the Division of Design. Within the division is a Visual Communication Design (VCD) BDes that focuses on areas such as interface design, advanced typography, motion design, branding, visual storytelling, information design, and publication design. The competitive BDes program admits just 60 students annually across the VCD, Interaction Design (IxD), and Industrial Design (ID) majors. Graduates go on to pursue the MDes at UW or establish careers at places such as Microsoft, Boeing, Deloitte Digital, Amazon, Nike, Google, Apple, Whitney Museum of American Art (the Whitney), REI, TikTok, Alaska Airlines, Starbucks, and T-Mobile.
2. Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
Western Washington University (WWU) houses the Department of Design. Within the department is a Design BFA limited to just 36 students per year. Upper-division courses for the program focus heavily on graphic design, packaging, digital media, print production, and motion graphics. The department also houses a flexible Design BA with a required minor or certificate. Illustration is a popular certificate option. Design BA/BFA highlights include access to the state-of-the-art Design Production Lab; opportunities to intern at places such as Disney and the student-run Klipsun Magazine; and the faculty-led Graphic Design and Visual Culture in Portugal program. With a 93% field-related employment rate, WWU Design graduates have landed positions at places such as Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, Nike, REI, Disney, Google, PepsiCo, Airbnb, Nordstrom, Starbucks, Pinterest, Huige, Dropbox, and Eventbrite.
3. Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, Seattle, Washington
Cornish College of the Arts (Cornish) at Seattle University has several programs for students seeking careers in graphic design. Options include a Design BA, BFA, or minor, and the Interaction (UX) Design minor. Program highlights include professional internships; guest lectures; access to state-of-the-art facilities; collaborative studio courses; and industry partnerships. Cornish Design graduates can be found at places such as Nintendo, Microsoft, Electronic Arts (EA), Disney, Hearst, Google, LAIKA, 2K Games, Nike, Apple, Getty Images, Warner Bros., Pixar, Big Fish Games, Seattle Art Museum, and Twitch.