Bonnie Boglioli Randall

Not all readers will be familiar with University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), but we’ll remedy that in this Spotlight Q&A. For starters, it’s the largest Catholic university in Texas, as well as the fourth largest private institution in the state. And it's San Antonio campus offers more than a few alluring reasons to pay it a visit. Yet it may be best known for its small class sizes, rich ethnic diversity, and “Best Value” status by US News & World Report.

The University of the Arts (better known as UArts) has been producing creative thinkers and doers since it opened its doors not long after the American Civil War. In the century and a half since, it has retained an intimate and rigorous arts education in the heart of Philadelphia while implementing cutting-edge programs that provide students with both foundational and technical know-how.

Just outside of the vibrantly revived city of Cleveland, Ohio, sits a small college where aspiring designers and visual artists find a career-oriented education fit for the changing needs of artists and industry. VMCAD (aka the new Virginia Marti College of Art & Design) intersects design with business, offering a unique pedagogical approach that gets graduates industry-ready with realworld experience.

Founded nearly two centuries ago in upstate New York, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) cultivates the next generation of innovative leaders in science and technology fields. Its standout programs in engineering and computer science make it easy to overlook RPI’s art offerings including tempting Electronic Arts programs that our readers will find of particular interest.