| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purdue University | West Lafayette |
| 2 | Indiana University Indianapolis | Indianapolis |
| 3 | Taylor University | Upland |
Our 2024 ranking of the top illustration schools in Indiana. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
The College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University (Purdue) is home to the Patti & Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the Rueff School houses the Department of Art and Design and a flexible Integrated Studio Arts BFA. Students in this program can major or minor in Drawing and Illustration.
BFA students can select courses in illustration, computer art, drawing, mixed media, life drawing, painting, printmaking, silkscreen, alternative processes, relief, monoprint, art history, etching, and lithography. To enhance the degree students can take electives in areas such as textiles, sculpture, metals, and ceramics.
Other program features include access to state-of-the-art studios, labs, and production spaces; field trips to conferences, galleries, museums, and design exhibitions; workshops, lectures, and demonstrations by visiting artists and designers; and access to more than 500 special interest clubs and student organizations such as the American Institute of Graphic Arts and Textile Art at Purdue (TAP). In addition, all BFA students may apply for a summer internship or participate in the co-op program.
Graduates of Fine Arts BFA program at Purdue University are prepared to pursue careers in illustration, animation, publishing, filmmaking, video games, multimedia production, book publishing, comic books, photojournalism, and education, among others. Program alumni are also prepared to seek positions at museums, galleries, and other cultural institutions.
Purdue University is Indiana’s only land-grant university. Established in 1869, the school has campuses and centers across the state, as well as Purdue University Global and Purdue University Online. The main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana serves approximately 52,210 students, making it the second largest university in the state. Students at this location come from all 50 states and nearly 130 countries.
Purdue provides more than 400 programs across 13 colleges and schools. Approximately 11% of all students at Purdue attend Purdue Polytechnic Institute, which provides 30 BS programs and more than 20 graduate degrees. Purdue University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Indiana University Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI) is home to Herron School of Art and Design (Herron). Educating students for over 120 years, Herron serves more than 650 students today, enrolled in 20+ majors leading to 14 degree programs. Herron also provides seven minor and certificate programs.
Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), Herron School of Art and Design houses more than 70 studio spaces; 10,000+ square feet of exhibition space; dozens of classrooms and labs; critique spaces; and state-of-the-art production and fabrication facilities.
For students who would like to pursue a career in Illustration, Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indianapolis) has a Drawing and Illustration BFA program. With extensive studio experience in both Drawing and illustration, this professional degree program requires 125 credits to graduate.
Course examples for the program include Introduction to Contemporary Art; 2D Design; Drawing I-IV; 3D Design; Image & 4D Studio; A Critical Approach to Art; Digital Rendering; Building & Making; Intermediate Illustration I-II; Studio Art & Technology; Advanced Drawing & Illustration; and Narrative Drawing.
The Drawing and Illustration BFA program at Indiana University Indianapolis culminates with the Thesis Exhibition. Graduates are prepared to pursue titles such as Editorial Illustrator, Toy Designer, Game Artist, Comic Book Illustrator, Concept Artist, Children's Book Illustrator, Storyboard Artist, Cartoonist, Packaging Designer, Product Designer, Scientific Illustrator, Technical Illustrator, and Exhibition Designer.
Some BFA alumni go on to enroll in a top graduate program, while others launch their own studios or freelance businesses.
Established in 1820, Indiana University was one of the first public universities west of the Allegheny Mountains. Classes began in 1825 with just 10 men. In 1967, IU became one of the first state universities to admit women. Today, Indiana University is a top public research university with more than 69,000 undergraduate students and 20,000+ graduate and professional students from all backgrounds and 164 countries. More than 930 academic programs are provided across seven campuses, including Indiana University Indianapolis. Indiana University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The Art, Film & Media Department at Taylor University (Taylor) has an Illustration BFA program that focuses on practical studio work, cross-training, and immersive courses. Students also have opportunities to participate in experiential learning experiences such as faculty-led trips to Chicago and New York; tours of artist studios; and study abroad trips to places such as Northern Ireland and Italy.
Housed in the 38,000-square-foot Modelle Metcalf Visual Arts Center, the Art, Film & Media Department also provides opportunities to intern at places such as Wired Magazine, Animal Planet, USA Today, Esquire Magazine, Harrison Center for the Arts, Tyndale House Publishers, South Bend Art Museum, Indiana Arts Commission, Zondervan Publishing, and Fort Wayne Museum of Art.
All students will work and create in specialized classrooms and workspaces; a state-of-the-art Mac Lab; audiovisual classrooms; and photography studios. Modelle Metcalf also houses a lecture hall, two gallery spaces for professional and student art shows; and spaces for critiquing displayed works.
The Illustration BFA program at Taylor University begins with the Liberal Arts Foundation Core. Course examples include Art Appreciation; Performing Literature; Computers, Technology, and Music; Participation: Drawing; Film and Video Production; Art as Experience; and Ways of Knowing.
Students will also complete the Art Core, major requirements, and electives. Course examples across areas include Illustration I: Visual Voice; Illustration 2: Visual Narrative; History of Graphic Art; Digital tools: Illustrator; Three-Dimensional Design; Drawing I-II; Visual Communications; Intaglio and Lithography Printmaking; Water-Based Media; Figure Drawing; and Digital Tools: Blender.
The Taylor Illustration BFA culminates with the Illustration Thesis (completed across two courses); the Portfolio Development course; and the Senior Portfolio Exhibition (aka the Final Senior Show). Taylor University Art graduates are Illustrators, Graphic Artists, Photographers, Studio Artists, Art Educators, and Freelance Artists. With a 99% success rate, Taylor Art and Illustration alumni have gone to work at companies and publications such as Amazon, The New Yorker, Intuit Mailchimp, Wired Magazine, Sotheby’s, and Tyndale Publishers.
Taylor University was founded in 1846 as Fort Wayne Female College by the North Indiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Today, the school serves a coeducational population of approximately 1,925 students from 42 states and 31 foreign countries. Taylor also serves approximately 465 distance learning students. The school provides more than 130+ undergraduate and graduate degree programs across 20 departments.
Taylor University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The school’s virtual campus is also affiliated with the Association of Christian Continuing Education Schools and Seminaries (ACCESS) as well as the Indiana College Network (ICN).
