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 Kirkwood Community College, Hawkeye Community College, AIB, and Eastern Iowa Community College District.
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 AIB, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, and Grand View.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Morningside College and Drake.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Mount Mercy College, Saint Ambrose University, and Southeastern Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Drake, Iowa Wesleyan, Briar Cliff, and Iowa Western Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Iowa Wesleyan, Briar Cliff, Saint Ambrose University, and Morningside College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Iowa State and Drake.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Iowa Wesleyan, Mount Mercy College, Saint Ambrose University, and Briar Cliff.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Iowa State University • Ames, IA
Studying Art (completion in 1994)
• 9/26/2011
"I was satisfied that I got a degree. It gave me a fairly well rounded arts and graphics background."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on the type of graphic design they wanted to pursue. If they were looking to work at an average company making average wages, then I would suggest it to them. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Not many grads finding lucrative jobs. They rate below average in the arts. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Gave me skills in most areas of art. Could have been better with real world applications. |
| Instruction | 5 | Needed more art field related classes and less of the basics. Instructors needed to be more broad in subject matter. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Lots of work hours with little application of what was learned. Needed more internships. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | About 60% of the learning was hands on-based. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | At the time there were only a couple of options for class times. Classes were only offered in the daytime. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They have a very extensive library. The art center has plenty of space in which to work. |
| Social Life | 5 | There were not very many opportunities for social gatherings. The best organized events were held by sororities and fraternities. |
| Placement Services | 4 | They didn't provide much help with companies. They helped with resume writing assistance, though. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I found them online. The website wasn't very helpful. |
University Of Iowa • Iowa City, IA
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2008)
• 10/7/2011
"I am very satisfied with the University of Iowa. They taught me very well and I landed a great job upon graduation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I highly recommend Iowa for graphic design. They help you succeed. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | University of Iowa is highly rated in this program. They are always in the Top 50 Colleges in the US. They also have great instructors. |
| Program Quality | 9 | University of Iowa has a highly rated program. They are always in the Top 50 Colleges in the US. They also have great instructors. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instructors are excellent! They have strong backgrounds in graphic and computer design. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It is very difficult even with prior graphic design knowledge. You have to study for several hours every day to keep up. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You have a mix of hands-on vs. book learning for graphic design. It takes a lot of reading to be able to use hands-on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | University of Iowa has a great and flexible class program. They offer numerous classes for this major, at all times of the day. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I had great resources at my disposal. The University of Iowa is on the cutting edge of technology so it definitely comes in handy. |
| Social Life | 9 | Iowa City has a great social/college scene. There are numerous social events always going on that you can take part in. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Very excellent program for graphic design at the University of Iowa. I learned a lot about graphic design and now work at a great company! |
| Alumni Network | 9 | University of Iowa has a great alumni program. I get continuous updates on the University and Alumni program relatively often. |
University Of Iowa • Iowa City, IA
Studying Fine Art (completion in 2003)
• 3/21/2012
"I loved going to Iowa and would choose to go there again. From what I have heard the program has even gotten stronger since my time there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a great place to learn and a great place to live. If you are focused and dedicated an Iowa education can help you go a long ways. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Iowa has a strong fine art reputation for a state school, firmly within the top twenty art programs. However, it is definitely not in the conversation as one of the best art programs in the country. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Loved the staff at Iowa. The facilities and access to the art world were mediocre. |
| Instruction | 7 | Instruction at Iowa was very strong. Curriculum and instruction could have been more focused. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program was challenging but I was able to get as much support as I needed. There is a strong feeling of community and always someone available to help. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Good mix of both hands on and book learning. The curriculum leaned towards hands-on in my area. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | There were many class options. Scheduling was usually not a problem. Some of the smaller, more advanced classes had limited availability. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Professors and resources were very accessible. The facilities were somewhat dated but have since been greatly improved. |
| Social Life | 10 | Iowa City is a great place to live and has a lot to offer. The town is almost too fun and this can be a problem for students who are not focused. |
| Placement Services | 4 | Placement assistance was my biggest complaint with the program art Iowa. They did very little to help any of their students find jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | The in school experience is great. There is always help. The school is not as strong when it comes to this area. |
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