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 Ivy Tech Central Indiana, Purdue, and IUPUI.
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 IUPUI, Oakland City University, Purdue, and Anderson.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Ivy Tech Central Indiana.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Ivy Tech Kokomo, Ivy Tech Northcentral, Ivy Tech Columbus, and Grace College and Theological Seminary.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Notre Dame, Grace College and Theological Seminary, University of Evansville, and Purdue.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Notre Dame, University of Evansville, Anderson, and Grace College and Theological Seminary.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Notre Dame, Purdue, and University of Evansville.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Notre Dame.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Notre Dame, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, University of Evansville, and Anderson.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Indiana University • Bloomington, IN
Studying Pre Law And Art (completion in 1998)
• 5/8/2011
"I loved IU. Although I am a city kid and miss college that environment."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes. Well rounded business, and liberal arts school. Good music department as well. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | IU, I believe, still tops the charts in law. It is an educated guess, and having been around the block and having been involved with other universities, that the art major program(s) are top notch. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Indiana University allowed (after a bit of hell) a dual major program. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I did not come from an art background. Basic principals were difficult for me. By my 4th and 5th year I 'came into my own' and course of study became much easier. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I spent the second and third year studying media (required). I walked into the school (having prior been a set designer and writer for a small tv show) thinking 'hands on! hands on! This was not the case. The beginning course work wanted to hammer in 'principals' for a few semesters. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I finished my 5th year while in Japan and coupled with taking language courses at Sophia. IU was helpful in arranging this. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The art department was often overwhelming. Resources were abundant. |
| Social Life | 10 | I lived mainly in Teeter Quad. A notorious party floor. Laughs. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I am not sure. I did not look to the school for job placement. I orchestrated my own gigs by myself. From former friends who did place employment through the school, I believe, quality help was available. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I, honestly, have not engaged in alumni associations so I do not know the strength or weakness to adequately answer this question. |
Indiana University • Bloomington, IN
Studying Journalism (completion in 1987)
"I attended more than five years ago."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | IU provides a decent education for students who put in the effort. The school is respected and fairly well known nationally. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | IU is fairly well known for its journalism program. Some fairly well known people have graduated from it. |
| Program Quality | 7 | College is just a way to get a foot in the door. The things learned in college classes, with a few exceptions, don't have that much to do with the actual work experience. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | I attended more than five years ago. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Most college classes are not that demanding, unless it is honors work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In the journalism program, there was a good deal of "real world" emphasis. Students were encouraged to do internships and to work for IU media. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | IU, like most colleges, offers distance learning. I am not that familiar with current offerings. When I was there, it wasn't as flexible as it is now. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | It has been a long time since I was at IU. I don't know enough about the current situation. |
| Social Life | 8 | IU is known as a party school. It was like that when I was there and I believe it still is. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I got a job on my own after college. I didn't use placement services at IU. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't know much about the alumni network. I get a lot of mailings from IU but that's about it. They mostly want donations of some kind. |
University Of Indiana • Indiana, IN
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 1998)
• 5/4/2011
"I am very glad I made the decision to attend this school. I hope anyone looking into this school applies."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think they are a great school. A school that is always willing to help you achieve. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I think it is wonderful and the school is highly regarded Again, I would recommend. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I think it was wonderful. I would highly recommend it to anyone! |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 5 | I feel it was no difficult or less difficult than any other school. Great training for your future! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would say it is 50-50 when I went. I am sure it is about the same if not better these days! | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I think they are just as flexible as any other school. Most are willing to work with you and this one is no exception. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Simply Great. Not a whole lot more needs to be said about this really! |
| Social Life | 5 | It is not really considered one of your social type schools. It does good for what it is though! |
| Placement Services | 5 | They do the best they can do. Jobs are hard to get these days. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | They were typically always there when you needed them with a helping hand. A few could have done a better job but for the most part they were right on par! |
Purdue University • Lafayette, In, IN
Studying Computer Graphics (completion in 2003)
• 7/7/2011
"I think Purdue should no longer offer my major because they have no success with instruction in this area. The only thing Purdue did well was their dining service."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | It is impossible to find a job with a graphics degree from Purdue. Every time I meet someone considering entering this field, I beg them to reconsider and tell them they will end up poor like me. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | None of my friends from Purdue who graduated with a graphics degree managed to find steady work in the field. I have never heard of someone being successful in Graphics from Purdue. |
| Program Quality | 1 | I feel like my four year degree from Purdue University in Computer Graphics is absolutely worthless. It is very hard to find a graphics job in my area that pays a livable wage. Most jobs available are only temporary. |
| Instruction | 2 | Very little career preparation was provided and there was certainly no job placement help at all. Also, I had to take many classes in things that were useless and unrelated. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Purdue's program was extremely difficult because it required classes like Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry. In addition, classes taught theory instead of practical application in most cases. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I learned very little practical application. A friend of mine who went to a 2 year community college was actually taught the software hands-on and could do much better than I could with my fancy 4 year degree. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | All students were forced to take the classes in the time slots the computer stuck them in. No consideration was ever given to anyone who had to work. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | The computers were slow and could barely handle the graphics programs we needed. The computer labs were always full and very hot. |
| Social Life | 1 | I felt no school spirit for a school that treated me so badly. I resent that millions of dollars were spent on the football field, but I had to fight for a spot in the computer lab when I needed it. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There was no job placement at all. Purdue took my money and gave me nothing in return. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | Every few years there is a networking event, but it costs money to attend and is far away, so I don't bother with it. |
Ivy Tech Community College • Indianapolis, IN
Studying Visual Communications (completion in 2009)
• 7/28/2011
"They are awesome there in the Viscom department. I don't care for the other parts of the school, though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You will learn a lot and not have to spend much. It doesn't matter what school you go to, what matters is your work. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It's about average, though I think that it is very underrated. It's a community college though, so people don't expect much from it. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The instructors were great. I really loved the classes they taught me. |
| Instruction | 9 | Most of what I learned in my classes is entirely applicable in the field. They taught us how to interact with those you work with, and how to take/give criticism. |
| How Difficult | 4 | For me it was easy, because I have been doing this since high school. For others, however, it might be a little harder. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of the things we did can't be written in a book. How does one teach graphic design through books? | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | All classes were face to face except for a few, but you have to expect that with graphic design. It would be very difficult to take an online graphic design course. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | They had a Mac lab, which was awesome, but everything else was lacking. This is because they are a community college and have very low tuition. |
| Social Life | 6 | I made a lot of friends that will last, but there aren't any athletic teams. This, again, is because it's a community college. |
| Placement Services | 4 | They really didn't have 'job placement;' they had us meet with companies to work on our portfolio, but it wasn't a job placement type deal. They wanted us to get jobs based on our work, not based on where they could place us. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The instructors are great, and they love to hear about alumni projects. They are also always willing to help out if there is a question that we have. |
Purdue University • West Lafayette, IN
Studying Technical Graphics (completion in 1998)
• 10/28/2011
"I got excellent experience and built a knowledge base. I gained competitive skills that others in my field do not have.."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have recommended family members and friends to Purdue. The company I currently work for recruits grads from Purdue as well. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It's consistently top ranked by major publications. It's very well respected in the technical community. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Great school overall, but the program was in the middle of a changing curriculum so some odd class combinations occurred. Professors were very supportive and open to discussions. |
| Instruction | 10 | Professors were practicing professionals. They pushed students to the highest levels. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Course work was demanding but paced very well. Projects were engaging but most of the time was spent on executing the project instead of learning more design theory. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In the design field, you really need to be hands-on and have a lot of projects to work through to hone your skills. the theory lessons were always backed up with projects / labs to drive home the theory. During senior year students worked in design firms and were paired with real clients. Lots of student dropped out due to the demands. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Scheduling was flexible within the week but some core classes were very rigid in time and could not be worked around. No weekend, night, or online classes were available at that time. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Professors were top notch and went well out of their way to meet with students to answer questions or review projects. Advisers were run of the mill but I only met with them to schedule classes. |
| Social Life | 4 | I worked full time through college so I didn't have a very active social life between work and projects. I never had time to really enjoy the events the college offered. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I didn't use the service that much. I went freelance out of college. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I'm not active in the alumni network. I do enjoy reading the newsletters the university sends out. |
Ball State University • Muncie, IN
Studying Journalism And Art (completion in 2000)
• 2/27/2012
"I don't think I could have found a better school for me. The professors were focused on teaching and the atmosphere of the school was very collaborative and creative."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is still a wonderful university, possibly better than when I went there. The facilities are state of the art. The culture of the school is great too. It's a midwestern down-to-earth community with a creative flair. I really loved it. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | They have only expanded the program since I have graduated. They moved the journalism and art programs into one building so people like me (both art and journalism) could merge the two worlds. |
| Program Quality | 10 | It was an excellent program with professors who I was on a first-name basis with. It was small enough that you got focused attention from professors. |
| Instruction | 10 | Professors were highly educated and had worked in the field. Many still did freelance work in the field while they were teaching. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It might have been difficult for someone who didn't understand or like the arts, but I have always excelled in those areas. I found it challenging but fun. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Being art, they focused mostly on production. That said, they still addressed theory and history in many projects that we completed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | My school offered a number of sections for the same class. Many of these sections were even offered at night or once a week. It was very flexible for a standard 4-year school. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school had beautiful labs and buildings. The labs were full of high-quality computers, scanners, and digital imaging equipment. |
| Social Life | 10 | It was one of the best times in my life. I made lasting friends and had some amazing experiences, such as studying abroad. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They provide a job board and career fairs. I do think that there aren't enough opportunities listed though, but that's just a sign of the times. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I still get updates about the school, including an alumni magazine. I do wish they did a little more, though, to help us in job searching. |
Indiana Business College • Columbus, IN
Studying IT/Business Admin (completion in 2002)
• 3/19/2012
"Overall, I got what I needed. I also was able to work at a fast pace, which was nice."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It was a bit pricy, and credits may not transfer. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | They advertise a lot with testimonials that are positive. I have spoken with former students that had good things to say. |
| Program Quality | 7 | They had the program I was looking for. They also had teachers that were knowledgeable. |
| Instruction | 8 | The teachers did a very good job of preparing us. The studies were right on for the field. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Studying was very time consuming. The certifications were long and drawn out. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I think it was very well balanced. The labs gave us a great feel for what we would see in the workplace. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I had choices between day and night classes. I also had choices between instructors. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school was a little smaller than I thought it would be, and the facilities were nice and well maintained. The labs were very well supplied with everything we needed. |
| Social Life | 3 | I didn't have much time while working and raising a family to attend social events, however they also didn't offer much. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They did very well to prepare us for our field of work. They found me a job in my field before graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I have had no contact with the school since I left, and the school has not contacted me. |
Indiana University • Bloomington, IN
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2005)
• 3/23/2012
"I applied to my school because of their excellent high school programs I was able to take advantage of. Unfortunately it wasn't the right choice when I changed my major to graphic design. Since I've graduated I have had a very strong desire to go back to a different school to learn something different, and in a better manner."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | After reading the opportunities and learning experiences available at other schools teaching graphic design, I realized mine were inferior. I would have loved to have the opportunities I saw available to graphic design students at many other colleges. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | I check up on design school ratings occasionally. While a long time ago our school held a decent ranking and quality of education, it has declined over the years. |
| Program Quality | 3 | Our teachers had very out-of-date and unusable views. They also tended to play favorites with different students and did not maintain a learning atmosphere. |
| Instruction | 2 | Many of the machines and techniques we learned have proven useful. Unfortunately we were largely told to learn how to use different mediums, programs, and methods ourselves and never given any instruction in them. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work couldn't be considered difficult if it was your passion. While some of the assignments proved challenging, the school lacked the funds or desires to have us apply our learning to modern-day situations. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had some hands-on learning experience, but for some reason it was limited to about 10% of class days. The rest was spent listening to vague lectures and going on field trips with no educational value. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The major's core classes were only offered in two time slots. Once you moved onto higher level courses, you only had one option for class time. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | We used out of date computers and out of date software and technique. We were taught how to use Director after Flash and other superior methods had been in constant use. |
| Social Life | 6 | Our school was very active socially. We had many opportunities to see sporting events, music events, and many art events. |
| Placement Services | 1 | IU offered no interning or job placement services. We had occasional career fairs, but they were for every type of program in the school. It was close to impossible to find an internship in Bloomington, and if you did it was guaranteed to be unpaid. |
| Alumni Network | Once I graduated I didn't bother joining our alumni association. I receive occasional emails from them but that is the extent of it, in addition to an alumni email account. |
Indiana State University • Terre Haute, IN
Studying Communication (completion in 2009)
• 3/21/2012
"I feel proud to say that I graduated from this program at this school. Mostly because it is one of the programs that ISU is known for, which makes it a great talking point in interview/networking situations."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have in the past. I will in the future. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The reputation of the communications Master's program at ISU is the main reason I had initial interest in the school itself. If the reputation would not have been outstanding, I probably wouldn't have considered ISU for graduate coursework. |
| Program Quality | 7 | My Master's degree is in communication. I did not specifically study design there and have learned most of what I know regarding design on the job. |
| Instruction | 9 | My Master's program is rated very highly among communication professionals. Our instructors, department leaders, and students all put forth their best efforts to create a collaborative learning environment. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The coursework was difficult at times. However, if a student is really interested in the social science of communication, that interest makes the work seem easier. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were equal parts book and hands-on learning. Mostly, classes were one or the other instead of both at the same time; but there were an equal amount of both required in the program. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Evening options were always available. However, weekend options were non-existent and summer offerings were self-study courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Most resources were not distributed evenly or consistently. The amount of resources available coupled with the hours of their availability made utilizing them difficult at times. |
| Social Life | 7 | My program was designed as a cohort that went through the program together. I still keep in touch with many of my classmates. |
| Placement Services | These don't exist at ISU as far as I'm aware. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I am only contacted by their alumni networking from time to time. In fact, I am contacted by my undergraduate school more often and I graduated from that program 5 years prior to my MS graduation. |
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