Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Graphic Designers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Savannah College of Art and Design.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Savannah College of Art and Design.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Brenau.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Sandersville Technical College, Central Georgia Technical College, Augusta Technical, and Griffin Technical College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Brenau, Central Georgia Technical College, Sandersville Technical College, and Griffin Technical College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Savannah College of Art and Design and Brenau.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Reinhardt College, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Brenau.
Excellence
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Reinhardt College and Brenau.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Reinhardt College, Savannah College of Art and Design, Sandersville Technical College, and Brenau.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Art Institute Of Atlanta • Atlanta, GA
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2011)
• 7/7/2011
"The school doesn't benefit me, except for the fact that I'll get a degree. They have taught me but a few things, and emptied my pockets along the way."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would recommend someone go to a school where I didn't feel like I was being treated fairly or justly. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | Again, see my previous answer. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The teachers that are employed do not care about your education or the truth. They tend to belittle you regardless of the work you do. |
| Instruction | 5 | See my previous answer. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Projects are given on a bi-weekly basis. With the short class time, there isn't enough time to learn the information and apply it. This is forced education. The projects should take 3-4 weeks to complete. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There is both hands on and book learning. There is a lecture at the beginning of class then lab after. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | You can work before, between, or after school. There are no specific days during which must you work. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They are fairly good. They have books and periodicals that pertain to every major offered. |
| Social Life | 1 | There aren't many events associated with the school. |
| Placement Services | 1 | A lot of alumni who went to school there and in other locations have reported they do nothing to aid in the search of finding a reasonable job. Nor is it easy to get one because of the quality of work the teachers wanted them to create instead of being able to use their own creativity. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I've heard that it does nothing for your budding career to have a diploma from AIA. They are "preparing" us for a career that some of them struggle with on a daily basis. |
Savannah College Of Art And Design • Savannah, GA
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2007)
• 7/8/2011
"Very professional and very satisfied. I would go there if I had to choose again."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This is a a career with lots of opportunities and one that requires great skill. There is always the need for more graphic designers in the world. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It has improved. They have even better teachers nowadays and the faculty and amount of students has increased, thus demanding more from the school |
| Program Quality | 9 | My school was amazing: it taught everything to get me ready for the real world. I had amazing teachers and it's probably a leading school in graphic design. |
| Instruction | 10 | I have been exposed to tough challenges and experiences as a chief editor. However, this has been excellent because my curriculum was vast and I feel I have authority over other graphic designers. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was a program that demanded my best. Teachers always left last minute homework and taught the most difficult and important techniques, which made the homework very demanding. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We rarely bought books. It was all about doing projects and presenting and being critiqued. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | You always had work, but also time for side projects. Plus we had flexibility with summer school and a lot of interning options. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | It's the most professional campus. It has technology to the maximum with a lot of opportunity for students to face the real deal. |
| Social Life | 4 | The school didn't organize much activities by itself. It needed students to create their own activities. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I got a job as soon as I graduated. The career fair was essential to create an amazing portfolio. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have contact with my school. However, I have almost no contact with fellow colleges and I would love to collaborate with them nowadays. |
Savannah College Of Art And Design • Savannah, GA
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2010)
• 7/20/2011
"I'm satisfied, but it's tough to find work in this economy."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, I would. It is expensive, but scholarships are offered. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | People know about SCAD. It is respected in the field. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Our school had a well rounded program. I was able to create a great portfolio. |
| Instruction | 8 | I had teachers from a variety of design disciplines. I had in depth instruction on graphic design. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was not hard to get good grades in the classes. A big part of the instruction is in being self motivated. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Our school had a good mix of hands on and book learning. There was also a good mix of applied and fine arts. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | It was easy to find the classes I needed. There were plenty of classes offered. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Our program had great computers and software. They also had great resources, like the library and the archive. |
| Social Life | 8 | I had lots of fun at school. Good experiences with friends. |
| Placement Services | 8 | We were counseled on gaining employment prior to graduating. The online job board is good. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Our school has a good alumni organization. They have a good internet job board. |
North Georgia College & State University • Dahlonega, GA
Studying Art Marketing (completion in 2004)
• 7/24/2011
"I feel satisfied with the training I received at this school. I feel that I could have been more prepared for the industry if I had gone to a more technical school, but I feel that I was still adequately prepared for the job field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend the school for the atmosphere and the quality of education. I would likely suggest to someone pursuing this career to weigh the benefits and negatives of going to a more technical college also. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | This is a very small school and it is not well known for it's technical programs. This school is more known for its Education and Nursing programs. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I felt my training and classes prepared me for this field. I feel that the classes were appropriate in preparing me for my current career. |
| Instruction | 6 | The quality of instruction at this school was above average. It is not a highly technical school, but I felt prepared when applying for jobs. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I feel the program difficulty was slightly higher than average. I don't feel that the course load and projects were overly complicated, but I do feel that they challenged my knowledge base. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I feel that I received more of a hands-on training. Because this isn't a very technical school, there was still a reliance on book training as well. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I was able to take summer classes to complete my degree. There was a good offering of evening classes, but I am not aware of any weekend classes. I believe the flexibility was on par with other colleges. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | The availability of staff and tutors was average. However, the computer resources and library were small and outdated. Again, this school is not very focused on it's technology programs, and therefore the technology was not as cutting-edge as that of other campuses. |
| Social Life | 6 | I believe the social setting on this campus was slightly above average. This school did not have a football team and was not well known in other sports, so I feel that this lowered the school spirit. This college is a military campus so it had it's own culture and experiences that you do not get at other schools. |
| Placement Services | 5 | My current job was obtained soon after graduation, so I did not have the need to use these services. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't participate in any of the alumni programs at NGCSU. I was fortunate to obtain a job soon after graduation and have not had to use any alumni programs for support. |
Savannah College Of Art And Design • Savannah, GA
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2003)
• 9/14/2011
"The skills and lessons I took away from the school have helped me to this day. The professors were amazing and engaging."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is expensive but well worth it. It is amongst the best schools and programs in the country. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The Savannah College of Art and Design has a reputation for being one of the best art schools in America. Every time I mention the school there is always someone who has heard of it or knows someone attending. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The Savannah College of Art and Design has a very strong graphic design department but I found that, what you put into it is what you get out of it. I enjoyed the program but found that I could complete most assignments and class curriculum by researching online and investing time refining my skills from home. |
| Instruction | 9 | Most of the professors came from real world experience. They typically had a very grounded perspective of being a designer. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The program was fairly strenuous. A lot of assignments, tight deadlines and expensive printing fees. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Books were extremely helpful in learning design principles and learning software but most of the classes were hands-on tutorials. After every class you walked away knowing how to actually utilize the software rather than simply reading about it. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The Savannah College of Art and Design offers a four day class week. It is really wonderful to have Fridays off and be able to focus on your work instead of class. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The Savannah College of Art and Design has high-end facilities. Computers, printers and software are always being updated. |
| Social Life | 3 | Unfortunately I buried my head in the books throughout college. I didn't experience the social life as much as I could have. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I have heard they do a very good job. Though fortunately, I have never had a need to use them. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I do not utilize the school's alumni services. I have heard that their career planning and placement services are very helpful though. |
Art Institute Of Atlanta • Atlanta, GA
Studying Multimedia (completion in 1998)
• 10/12/2011
"I do not regret my decision to attend AIA. It provided a great foundation for me. I wish that it were more affordable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend it but make it clear that it costs a lot to attend. I would also remind prospective students that this school and any school can not guarantee success in your chosen field. It is up to the student to take what they learn and apply it. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I think the Art Institute gets an average rating. People graduating from my specific program may have a challenging time finding jobs that directly revolve around multimedia but can usually find related opportunities. I did not study web design directly (it was not an option at the time but is now) but found that the design skills I learned at AIA were the foundation I needed to be a successful web designer. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I think my school gave me a foundation for success. However true success is a matter of personal dedication and commitment to continuous learning. |
| Instruction | 6 | I would say some classes were presented better than others. Some classes were full of detailed instruction while others seemed to offer less guidance and rely more on the student's personal drive to actually learn the material. But, for the most part, it was a good experience. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I had a small child at the time so balancing school demands and parenting could be a challenge. However, I think the average student could balance the demands pretty easily if they chose to do so. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This is a very hands-on school. You need the books and will learn a lot from them, but hands-on is hands down the best way to learn. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | My classes were somewhat flexible at the time. However, I think they are even much more so now. They offer day, night, and online courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I think AIA has a great facility and they offer classes using all the right software. The availability of the most current software should be a huge consideration when selecting a school that revolves around ever changing technology. |
| Social Life | 7 | I made a lot of friends in school. However, as this is an art school do not expect things like sports or a huge amount of organized activities. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I have never used it but did work in the job placement center while in school. I know that the job placement center works hard to gather and offer students viable job opportunities. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I have not participated much in my school's alumni network but they seem to offer a lot of options. They have a website, are active in social networking, and sponsor many alumni gatherings. |
Art Institute Of Atlanta • Atlanta, GA
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2013)
• 2/25/2012
"I love my school. I'm grateful that I chose this one. I am looking forward to being a graduate in the near future."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Absolutely! It's a great school. You learn so much. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The reputation is pretty good. A lot of students choose The Art Institute for a degree in my program major. There is also an AI of Pittsburgh. |
| Program Quality | 10 | AI is a very good school. They made it very easy for me to obtain a degree. |
| Instruction | 9 | It was great! Very hands on and easy to understand. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I didn't find it difficult at all, because I was self-taught prior to attending the school. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We do study from books, but the hands-on studies work best for me and a lot of other students. In my field, there are lessons that can be effectively learned from a book (such as C++ code source language). Most other aspects of graphic design are better interpreted through hands-on instruction. | |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | All of the facilities and resources are excellent. They have very useful resources. |
| Social Life | 7 | The school spirit is great. We are very proud of our school. There is a very good quality of people who attend the school. I have made friends and acquaintances that I will keep in touch with for years to come. |
| Placement Services | I am not sure, as I am not finished with my degree yet. | |
| Alumni Network | I have not personally had experience with the alumni, but from what I can see, they are pretty reliable. |
Savannah College Of Art And Design (SCAD) • Atlanta, GA
Studying Communication Design (completion in 2008)
• 3/9/2012
"Even though I find SCAD charming and wonderful. One drawback that I see in many art-focused universities is the large size. Growth is great but you lose the close-knit community that nurtures timeless art."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My experiences were eye opening. I find inspiration in my old artwork and lesson books. SCAD has grown into a global university with the campus in Hong Kong. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I haven't kept up with the programs reputation other than staying in contact with old professors and classmates. The student work I have seen is at about the same level as when I attended. |
| Program Quality | 9 | SCAD enabled me to try out different majors - such as printmaking, screen-printing and paper-making - in my design work. The unrestricted interaction with other students created many memorable experiences. |
| Instruction | 7 | The professors drilled into each student that self education is so important to growing as a designer. Even through I learned priceless lessons from my professors, I still felt unprepared for the real world. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Each week we were assigned two design assignments that were due the following Monday. It was difficult! The whole process don't give you anytime to stretch out the design process. This teaching style pushed me to think faster and work harder. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program taught us that you could only learn so much from seeing a technique performed. Reading about the origin and growth of it enabled you to break the rules, which exposed unseen design solutions. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | The college allowed students to design their own class schedules each semester. The choices of a physical location or online classes was large. Changing around the courses was easy. SCAD has four campuses around the world, allowing students to explore their major or minor in different environments. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Just going into the library at times was overwhelming for me. We had resources available from the other global campuses through the mail and online. The techniques I learned from the older students was priceless. Their knowledge of the industry was helpful then and now. |
| Social Life | 5 | The Atlanta Campus didn't have any athletic programs like the main campus in Savannah. We didn't have many social events but those we did have were wonderful. It took the stress off before and after mid-terms. |
| Placement Services | 6 | The career services department was small during my last two years at the school. The help I did receive was valuable. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I work within two school alumni networks for support. SCAD merged with the local Atlanta College of Art, which I was a part of before the merger. It is hard working between these two networks but I am finding wonderful support. |
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