| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus College of Art and Design | Columbus |
| 2 | Cleveland Institute of Art | Cleveland |
| 3 | Art Academy of Cincinnati | Cincinnati |
Our 2024 ranking of the top illustration schools in Ohio. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) has an Illustration BFA program that gives all students the opportunity to work on the student publication Spitball: A CCAD Comics Anthology. As part of the Comics Anthology Practicum course, which simulates a professional comic publishing practice, students will work on the design, merchandising, and sale of the publication in collaboration with professional comic writers and artists.
CCAD Illustration BFA students also have the opportunity to and interact with storytellers, animators, comic artists, and professional writers through Cartoon Crossroads Columbus. Highlights include workshops, lectures, professional panels, and more. Other program features include access to state-of-the art facilities such as 2D and 3D illustration labs, the FabLab, and computer lab; opportunities to specialize in a creative area through a minor or concentration; and internship opportunities at businesses in Ohio and across the U.S.
CCAD minors are 15 credit hours and concentrations are nine credit hours. Minor examples include Comics & Narrative Practice; Animation 2D or 3D; Film & Video; Advertising & Graphic Design; Photography; Copywriting; Design Research; Industrial Design; and Business. An Illustration minor is also available for students in other majors. Concentration examples include Illustration/Entertainment; and Illustration/Illustrative Design.
Consisting of 120 credit hours, the Illustration BFA highlights courses such as Motion Illustration; Traditional Media Illustration; Character and Environment Design; Historical Art & Design; Digital Design Lab; Illustration Markets; and Illustration Self-Promotion. The Illustration BFA program at Columbus College of Art and Design culminates with the Illustration Capstone. Graduates are prepared to pursue careers across industries.
Program alumni have been hired at places such as DreamWorks Animation, Marvel Comics, Boeing, Disney Consumer Products (DCP), Sony Pictures, DC Comics, The Wall Street Journal, Hasbro, Cartoon Network, Bath & Body Works, Williams Sonoma, Ogilvy & Mather, Hallmark, Pixar, CBS News, forever 21, and American Greetings.
Columbus College of Art & Design was established in 1879 by five women. The school serves approximately 1,010 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states and 14 countries. CCAD provides 11 undergraduate majors, 18 minors, and three graduate programs across 10+ departments.
Columbus College of Art & Design is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). CCAD is also affiliated with the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD).
The Illustration program at Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) provides real world experiences through partnerships with external clients—all before graduation. CIA Illustration students also benefit from field trips to advertising agencies and professional studios; interactions with visiting artists; small-group seminars; private, individual studio spaces; and access to Integrated Media Environment Facilities, lighting and shooting spaces, a sound recording studio, and fabrication studios.
Illustration at Cleveland Institute of Art consists of two paths: the Illustration BFA and the Life Sciences Illustration BFA. Both programs explore traditional materials and techniques such as acrylics, oils, inks, collage, and pencils. Students will also master industry standard software such as Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
Consisting of 120 credit hours of study, the Illustration BFA features courses such Layout Rendering Techniques; Illustration I-II; Character Design + Development; Graphic Novels + Sequential Art; Picture Book Illustration; Visual Concepts in Illustration; Sound Design Fundamentals; Illustration: Advanced Illustration Studio Projects; and Professional Practices: Entrepreneurial Ventures.
The Illustration BFA program at Cleveland Institute of Art culminates with the BFA Thesis and Exhibition. Graduates of the program are prepared for carers in areas such as Book and Magazine Publishing, Entertainment, Animation, Game Design, Comic Book Publishing, and Advertising.
The Life Sciences Illustration BFA program at Cleveland Institute of Art is designed for artists seeking a program that integrates Art and Science. One of the few BFA degrees of its kind in the U.S. the Life Sciences program explores topics such as Information Design, Illustration, Interactive Design, Botanical Sciences, Serious Game Design, Animation, Zoological Sciences, Sound Design, Biological Sciences, Research Methods, and Professional Development.
Course examples for the program include Interactive Narratives; Advanced Concepts & Methods; Digital Biomedical Illustration; Digital Color: Style + Representation in Science; Line: Information Visualization; Veterinary Illustration; 3D Animation; Natural Science & Zoological Illustration; 3D Modeling; Cellular + Molecular Illustration; and Anatomy for the Artist.
A major component of the CIA Life Sciences Illustration BFA program is the internship, which provides the opportunity to gain valuable real-world experience in this unique field. Professional Practices courses provide additional insight into how the industry works and how to gain entry. The courses highlight portfolio development for online and offline media, demo reels, and professional packages consisting of business cards, resumes, cover letters, etc. Courses include Professional Practices: Studio to Gallery; and Professional Practices: Industry.
The Life Sciences Illustration BFA program at Cleveland Institute of Art culminates with the BFA Thesis and Exhibition. Program alumni hold titles such as Illustrator, Biomedical Illustrator, 3D Animation Artist, 3D Designer, Art Director, Forensic Illustrator, Scientific Illustrator, Medical Illustrator, and Educator.
Cleveland Institute of Art was chartered as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women in 1882. This independent, not-for-profit college serves around 600 students enrolled in 13 entertainment arts, design, fine arts, and craft majors. Cleveland Institute of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The Illustration BFA at Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC) is a transdisciplinary, studio-based program that requires 120 credit hours. This includes 42 hours in the major and 27 in studio electives. Because the program is transdisciplinary, students have the opportunity to explore a variety of other creative areas such as animation, motion graphics, installation, sound art, printmaking, new media, drawing, digital sculpture, and Installation.
Other program features include two- to six-month study abroad experiences in places such as Berlin, Hong Kong, and London; seminars and workshops; and summer internships in New York City and other cultural centers.
All AAC students will complete the First Year Experience (FYE), which explores creative thinking, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. FYE course examples include Ideation; Digital Literacy, Artist as Writer Workshop; Communication; and Discovery and Voice. Upon completion of the AAC FYE, students will move on to their chosen major.
Illustration students will take courses such as Illustration: Narrative; Storyboarding and Compositing; Illustration: Process and Media; Storytelling Art for Motion Graphics; Comic Book Art; Introduction to 2D Animation; Social Practice in the Arts; Academy Design Service; Introduction to 3D Animation; Illustration: Communication; Artist Books; and Going Big: Professionalism Workshop.
All Illustration students will complete one of the following: Exhibition Studio; Academy Design Service; Advanced Creative Writing Seminar: Poetics/Aesthetics; Museums, Knowledge, and Power; or the Internship.
The Senior Year Experience (SYE) is the culminating experience for the AAC Illustration BFA program. The SYE consists of 18 credit hours including the Senior Pathway Studio 1-2, Senior Seminar, and the Senior Thesis.
Graduates of the Illustration BFA program at Art Academy of Cincinnati are prepared to pursue careers in areas such as book and magazine publishing, animation, comic book publishing, film and video, game design, branding and packaging, architecture, advertising, graphic design, and fine art.
Founded in 1869, Art Academy of Cincinnati serves 240 students enrolled in eight majors leading to a BFA, an Art Education MA, and a Graphic Design AS. AAC is a private independent college of art and design that became a charter member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) in 1948. The school is also accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
