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 Montgomery College, The Community College of Baltimore County, UMUC, and Anne Arundel.
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 Morgan State.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Morgan State, Montgomery College, UMUC, and University of Baltimore.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Anne Arundel, Carroll Community College, Hagerstown Community College, and Montgomery College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Maryland Institute, UMUC, Morgan State, and Hagerstown Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Morgan State, Stevenson University, Maryland Institute, and Frostburg State.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Maryland Institute.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Morgan State, Maryland Institute, and Stevenson University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Morgan State, Maryland Institute, Frostburg State, and University of Baltimore.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Maryland Institute College Of Art • Baltimore, MD
Studying Illustration (completion in 2011)
• 10/15/2011
"I was satisfied with the school, but not completely satisfied with my education. I feel that the curriculum include many trivial and irrelevant courses that ultimately were of no use to me as a graphic designer."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend my school to certain artists and designers. However, I would also suggest that they consider a less expensive school and take some courses at my school in order to save money. This is the advice I would have wanted. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | As an art school, my school is considered one of the best in the country. In addition, the school's graphic design and illustration departments are two renowned departments. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school I attended had a very strong Graphic Design Program and excellent teachers. However, the school did not fully prepare me for the reality of working and sustaining a lifestyle as a freelance artist. |
| Instruction | 9 | For the most part, I had excellent Graphic Design and Illustration teachers. They focused heavily on assuring that I had a good sense of typography and craftsmanship. Additionally, they encouraged me to base the directions I went in own my particular skill sets. |
| How Difficult | 5 | My program was by no means "easy." However, because I had a strong foundation in visual art and have studied it for so long, applying it commercially (via graphic design and illustration) was a new way of directing my talent. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | While most of the work was created on the computer, assemblage and sketches were all done by hand. Teachers emphasized good craftsmanship because all of our work was presented off screen. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The schedule flexibility at my school was less than average. Many courses are only available in the spring or fall and sometimes, only certain times every other school year. Additionally there were no winter courses offered. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school had very good facilities, especially the dorms. However, access to places like the print lab was difficult at times, because of the lack of adequate hours of operation. |
| Social Life | 7 | My social experience at my school was fairly decent with a wide array of student activities. However the lack of diversity often left me feeling uncomfortable in certain social situations. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I feel that while the school does provide job placement assistance, it is often not in design or artistic fields. Moreover it often leads to temporary jobs or unpaid internships. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | My school encourages a strong alumni network. Alumni are encouraged to participate in annual events like the schools art market. Additionally, alumni have access to the school library and other resources. |
Howard Community College • Columbia, MD
Studying Web Development (completion in 2012)
• 10/31/2011
"HCC provides an adequate educational framework for me to continue in my studies in graphic design, web design, and web development. All of my expectations have been met so far in attending this school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this program to a graphic designer/web designer with a moderate level of experience. That way they would come into classes with at least some level of knowledge, which would prevent them from becoming too lost in more advanced courses. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The program I am in is reasonably well known in the area. HCC as a whole has a stellar reputation for providing quality education to students. |
| Program Quality | 7 | My school has provided me with adequate training in subjects relevant to graphic design (e.g. Photoshop, Flash, web design, etc.) However, there are probably other schools that are better suited for such a line of study. |
| Instruction | 9 | The curriculum was very thorough in its preparations. We were given sample projects to work on that could be placed in a portfolio. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The work was challenging enough. However, those who already had a background in the field found certain projects to be more of a review than an educational experience. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All classes require textbooks, so I would say that the school is fairly book learning oriented. However, we are also assigned team projects, so there is a hands-on aspect as well. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | HCC offers day, evening, and weekend courses. They also offer some online and hybrid courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The computer labs are state-of-the-art and equipped with relevant design and programming software. There is adequate classroom space for all classes. |
| Social Life | 7 | HCC is not a four-year institution, so school spirit is probably not as strong as it could be. However, a fair amount of students seem to participate in clubs, events, etc. |
| Placement Services | 9 | HCC has monthly job fairs, which allow one to discover relevant job opportunities in the community. They also have a job board where you can discover new job postings. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | As I am still in school, I cannot quite give an accurate response in this area. However, to my knowledge, it seems that HCC has an adequate alumni network. |
Community College Of Southern Maryland • Leonardtown, MD
Studying Web Design And Graphic Arts (completion in 2007)
• 2/29/2012
"My options were very limited due to my location. All in all, I am very pleased with the education I received."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If, like me, you desire hands on training with strong educator support, then this is the school for you! |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Taking into consideration the location of the school and that this school is the only Higher Community Education school locally, we as residents have really no other choices available to us unless we are willing to travel quite a distance to attend another Community College. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The school has a tendency to cancel classes if there are not enough participants signed up for the course. It can take literally months on end to take a desired course. |
| Instruction | 10 | My particular instructor was extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of graphics and web design. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I felt it was just enough - anymore would have been too much and any less would have been a disappointment. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I enjoyed the hands on approach much more than the text book. I am the type of student that can absorb information quickly by visual and hands on methods better than by reading a text book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Some of my courses were taken online at my own pace. Flexibility was a major factor why I opted to select some of my courses online. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I valued the option of emailing my instructor for any questions that may have arose during my course study and I would always receive an answer in a prompt fashion. |
| Social Life | 10 | Community College of Southern Maryland prides itself in spirit and social events, not only for the students but for the community as a whole. |
| Placement Services | I did not utilize these services. | |
| Alumni Network | I did not have any type of encounter with the alumni network and support. |
University Of Maryland Baltimore County • Baltimore, MD
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2004)
• 3/28/2012
"I wish I had transferred to this school sooner. It was a great experience and a good value."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I actually have recommended this school to others. I encourage design students to consider the benefits of a well-rounded liberal arts education versus an art school. The location and price are good and it has something to offer for everyone. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I rated it average, only because people outside UMBC don't know what a good program it is. When an employer wants a good graphic designer, they tend to think of Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). UMBC is known for science and tech programs. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I transferred to this school because of their graphic design program. They emphasized Swiss design and typography, and I felt that the design fundamentals were solid. I didn't just learn design software. |
| Instruction | 10 | Professors were accessible and enthusiastic. One professor even hosted an informal gathering at his house to discuss design and show his collection of design posters. Famous designers were brought in to speak to design students. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The only point of reference I have is the design program at the school I transferred from. It seemed much harder at UMBC. I noticed that all students were very close in skill level and talent - no one seemed far above or below anyone else in the program, which made for good competition. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | By the time I transferred to this school, most of the classes I was taking were art classes, which are naturally hands on. The few gen ed classes I took were lectures and more book oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They may have just started online courses when I was there; much has changed since 2004. My schedule was fairly traditional and I didn't look into summer or weekend options. From what I recall, it was flexible enough. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | At the time, the computers and print lab for the designers were okay. Library resources, professor accessibility and academic advising were satisfactory. No studio space to work on homework or projects - my tiny dorm room was not conducive to drawing on large sketchpads or using strong markers. |
| Social Life | 9 | What UMBC lacks in traditions, it makes up for in enthusiasm. The school was battling a reputation as a "commuter school" when I attended, so the student events board got a lot of money and support to host and promote events on campus. Even with fewer students living on campus than an average college, I found it easy to meet and socialize with other students and form friendships, and I'm not a social person. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I found my internship and my full-time job through my own personal network, so I didn't have much contact with the career center. From my brief experiences with them, they seemed helpful. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I receive communication from the alumni group and it seems like they have average participation. I am not involved in the alumni network. |
Maryland Institute College Of Art • Baltimore, MD
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2011)
• 3/28/2012
"I learned a lot of valuable skills at MICA. The facilities are really wonderful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You will have the opportunity to work with some of the best people in the field. Also, you will learn a lot of valuable skills. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Ellen Lupton leads the MFA program for design at MICA. Other prestigious designers teach there as well. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The teachers at MICA are some of the best in the field of design. MICA also has the ability to have other top artists come and give lectures to students. |
| Instruction | 8 | All of the design and typography courses built a solid foundation for every design student. A class on how designers actually function in the real world with clients would have been very helpful. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Classes were very demanding. Being at such a good school made the competition between students very high. The drive to create the best work was a constant pressure. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It's a fine arts program and you are constantly making things. Writing papers did not happen as often. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | For studio courses, they take place either in the morning or at night. If you only wanted to take evening classes, it would be possible, but the variety of classes would not be as large. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Some classrooms were very small, considering close to thirty students were taking the class. Many times, projectors would not work properly and would delay the class. |
| Social Life | 7 | As a transfer student, it was much more difficult to make friends with people who had been there since freshman year. Many of the students were only interested in being cool. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The career center is very helpful in working with you to prepare a resume and portfolio. The job fair is also very large, but mainly has only unpaid internships. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | There is a website that is strictly for alumni. Other networks have also popped up through Facebook. |
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