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 Minneapolis College of Art and Design and University of Minnesota.
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 Dunwoody College of Technology, College of Visual Arts, and Concordia.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Saint Paul College and MCTC.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Concordia.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Northland Community and Technical College, University of Minnesota, and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Concordia, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, and Concordia.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Minnesota, Concordia, and Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at University of Minnesota, Concordia, and Dunwoody College of Technology.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Concordia, Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and Minnesota State.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Minnesota State University Moorhead • Moorhead, MN
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2010)
• 7/10/2011
"I am relatively satisfied with my schooling at MSUM. I learned quite a bit and am off to a good start to my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school is the only one in the area I would recommend. They did a good job of preparing me for my future. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I've seen the art program mentioned in art magazines as being a very good one. The art program is based off of the old Bauhaus school in Germany which helps a lot with its reputation. |
| Program Quality | 8 | MSUM did a good job of preparing me for a job as a graphic designer. The art program also helped me to become a little more adventurous and daring with my work. |
| Instruction | 8 | A lot of the projects were used to give a better understanding of how to do various different action in Photoshop and Illustrator. They did so in a way that prepared one for working with clients. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Once I got the hang of the various programs, it wasn't too hard. The hardest part was probably finding ways to be creative. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As a graphic design major you get a very good mix of this. They teach you with books to learn some background knowledge, but it is very hands on as well. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | MSUM has all kinds of different classes. They offer a few saturday classes, many evening courses, various different summer schedules, and a program for online students. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school has very good academics facilities and resources. Even as an art major you can take advantage of tutors. The labs are available to students 24/7. |
| Social Life | 3 | The school in general had good athletics and a good social life. However, I stuck to my group of friends and didn't do much in the way of clubs. |
| Placement Services | 4 | The school did help students find jobs pretty quickly. However, they were less concerned about finding one directly related to one's major. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I haven't been an alumni for very long. They send me various things in the mail and thats about all I've noticed so far. |
Minneapolis Community And Technical College • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2009)
• 7/21/2011
"Two thirds of my education I found to be an incredible experience. The last semester I found to be extremely frustrating due to poor instruction. I felt as though one of my teachers that I had in two classes,had a very difficult time staying on course materials and discussing relevant material. Her private life, and her tastes, rather than logically good reasons, for not liking pieces took focus rather than how to design advantageously."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If I felt that someone had a really strong sense of art, font, and were able to execute and needed little-to-some guidance and needed to learn design programs... I would send them to MCTC. If I felt as though someone really lacked a lot of design principles (i.e., lacked any knowledge of color theory, fonts, photography or producing artwork) I would suggest they go to a four year. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My mentor who passed away left a very strong legacy behind. He fought for the program to develop into more than just the technical basis but also taught more that was useful to the career itself. |
| Program Quality | 6 | My prior major was English with a Studio Arts minor. My mentor brought me into Graphic Design but passed away before I completed my studies. He was the head of the department, and a lot of what shined at my school was gone when he died. A lot of the teachers that still work there seemed to greatly dislike what they did. However, I had a few really amazing teachers. |
| Instruction | 8 | Over 50% of my teachers were in fact professors that taught at nearby universities and art schools around Minneapolis, and taught the same curriculum as they taught me. The rest had a lot of experience within the industry and offered a lot of insight into different aspects of design. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Anything subjective, if you care about what you're doing, is extremely difficult. It takes knowing yourself and having a high level of confidence within yourself and what you're doing. It's not just learning the computer programs. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As a technical college, you learn both from the books as well as hands on. I always felt as though I had time to at least start ideation and never felt rushed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | MCTC is fantastic because it is literally the most diverse community college within the state and has the oldest median age of students attending. Because of this, they were/are extremely accommodating. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | We always had the newest version of Adobe software and opportunities for extra support. Some professors were more available than others to speak to, but our school was smaller, so I graduated with about 30 people. Due to the size, we had an advantage of materials we had to work with. |
| Social Life | 7 | One of my closest friends I met through the program on day one. He and I still meet up for coffee and get together to design. |
| Placement Services | 1 | My internship class was taught by a teacher who offered a blog linked with ads she saw of internships as our way to get an internship. I wasn't able to find one. I had a dean tell me I would never be able to do multiple majors and minors once I left MCTC and went on to a university. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I don't really hear about it a lot and haven't heard from them since I graduated. |
Minneapolis Community And Technical College • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Graphic Arts/Visual Communications (completion in 2010)
• 8/8/2011
"I liked school. I liked MCTC and it was a good experience. In a way I'm glad that I got laid off from my old job and was thrown out there, going back to school in middle age. But I took a huge pay cut. I lost a lot because of the layoff."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Besides the equipment that does not work, there are a lot of nice people working their tails off trying to get an education to achieve a better life. There is a lot of talk about how lazy people are, but at this school you observe on a daily basis how hard people are trying to get into the middle class. Working some terrible service job or two and attending school at the same time is where a lot of people are now. It really makes me mad that our politicians keep cutting funds for higher education. Education is a big part of getting America's economy turned around. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | It's known as a good school for graphic arts on the cheaper side of academia. The school is known for its diversity, as there are people from all over the world that go there. In some businesses that is a big plus. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Very good program, but due to budget cuts there were problems with equipment like computers and printers. The printer did not work the entire last two semesters I attended, and a printer is a pretty important part of graphic design. I spent a huge amount of extra money at Kinko's printing my assignments. |
| Instruction | 8 | Instructors were good except for one who was from the pre-computer age of graphic arts. Half the stuff I'm doing now (digital printing) was not covered or discussed in any way, shape, or form. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Very vague instructions. Stressing students out "to prepare for the real world." I was an older student that was learning new skill sets, and I didn't need to "prepare for the real world." The most valuable thing I learned in school was how to deal with people that were much younger than me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Going to school for graphic arts is mostly making something and then slapping it up on the wall and the class critiques everything for hours on end. You don't use books except for learning computer programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Most of the classes in the last part of the program were at 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. one day a week. Most of the classes that involved learning computer programs were very flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The printer never worked. Some of the computers were screwy. A lot of the blame for this was the IT department at the school. It was well known they were a bunch of lazy people. |
| Social Life | 10 | Sports were almost non-existent but there were a lot of social events and parties that groups would throw. There were many students from South America, Somalia, Liberia, and other parts of the world. They would have celebrations on their national holidays. It was interesting learning about the celebrations. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I never used the job placement services or career services assistance. I do know that if you applied yourself you could fairly easily get an internship through the connections the professors had. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I don't put in any effort in contacting MCTC's school network or support so I can't really rate this very well. I did make some good friends at school that I keep in contact with via Facebook. |
Capella University • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Information Technology (completion in 2010)
• 8/29/2011
"They have great instructors. The flexibility and quality of teaching is the best. I have gone to traditional universities and felt ripped off. Usually those instructors want to talk about themselves all day."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You can't beat the instructors. Plus, the flexibility is a huge bonus. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | They have a great reputation with employers. They also are looked at as a good university within the educational field. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Capella gave all the information I needed for graphic design. In the information technology field alone, many times I know more than those who specialized in specific areas. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructors are people who have worked in the field for a very long time and know what they are talking about. They answer quickly and are fair on the grading. |
| How Difficult | 8 | For someone like me who has been in the business for over a decade it wasn't extremely hard. However, I know many who failed. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Many things are book learning - I would say 40%. However, most are project based courses, so this is why I lean towards hands on with my rating. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | It is great - they give plenty of time to complete assignments. Usually there is a week to complete discussions as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The online library is top notch. They also provide resources such as paper checking and tutorials. |
| Social Life | 5 | It is an online university so I assume they are average. I don't know of any activities. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They provide guides on resumes, interviews, and the like. However, I am not aware of any job placement. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They provide an alumni social network. Also, they contact the alumni on a regular basis with information. |
Alexandria Tech • Alexandria, MN
Studying Communication Art And Design (completion in 2009)
• 9/11/2011
"I couldn't have asked for a better program. It provided me with a well-rounded education. It was inexpensive compared to other schools. I obtained my degree in only two years and was prepared for work after college."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I can't imagine another school being able to provide as great an education in design. Our professors knew us on a personal level and work hard to put the most effort they can into our education. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | In the Addy Awards, our school consistently takes the cake. It has a good reputation for turning out great designers and is a good value for students. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The program was well-rounded. The professors were excellent and truly cared for us as students. I learned about every aspect of graphic design from printing, illustration, and layouts to typography and editorial design. |
| Instruction | 10 | The three professors I had for the majority of my classes were all quite different and it made for a well-rounded curriculum. The professors were very honest with us about how the real world would be and prepared us for it. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The work load was immense. I did homework with every free minute of my day. It was challenging trying to keep up with all of it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I hardly used my books at all! We were always working on our computers and doing hands-on activities. We did a lot of projects that weren't on the computer as well. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | For general classes, there are many options. For program-specific classes, there isn't much flexibility. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Our classrooms were large and my program had an entire floor to ourselves. There were lots of people around to help and alumni were always stopping in to visit, so we could chat with those working in the field. |
| Social Life | 3 | Since there isn't campus housing, there isn't much to do around the school when you aren't in class. We don't have big social events there other than a few random activity nights. |
| Placement Services | 9 | The school will work with you to help you find a job. The job placement rating has averaged over 90% for a long time. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The school has a great network of alumni. It also provides a good support system. |
Bethel University • St. Paul, MN
Studying Fine Arts (completion in 1979)
• 2/22/2012
"Bethel was the perfect college setting for me: small beautiful campus, engaging and professional staff, great facilities... and a good financial aid package."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Bethel is a very supportive community of academic professionals. It is a thriving, growing institution with top rate facilities and academic programs. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | When I went to college there, the art program was very well respected academically. The art professors were all professional artists that regularly exhibited their artwork in shows around the country. I understand that it has gotten even better over the years since I attended the school. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The art department at my college was very good. The professors were dedicated, the facilities were great, and the other students were very creative and supportive. It was a wonderful environment in which to learn. |
| Instruction | 5 | Back in 1975-1979, a degree in fine arts qualified me to be a starving artist. In hindsight I should have gone for a more commercial degree. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The college was well respected academically. I carried a full liberal arts course load and did well. The classes were challenging in level of difficulty. The school (now a university) has continued to expand and develop additional programs -- I'd like to be attending college there now! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In my Fine Arts degree program, we had a good mix of Art History and Visual Language classes combined with a full range of hands on studio classes in painting, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, graphic design, etc. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I know that Bethel has increased its class schedule flexibility in recent years. Decades ago when I attended the school, the students were on a pretty strict schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There have been major upgrades to the school's facilities in recent years. But, even back when I attended in the late 1970's, the facilities were exceptionally good. |
| Social Life | 10 | School spirit and a sense of community has always been a high priority at Bethel. |
| Placement Services | 7 | There was a career counselor at the school when I attended. But, I remember only meeting with her once or twice in my senior year. I have read (from the alumni newsletter) that the career services have been greatly enhanced since my days there. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I receive a lot of alumni direct mail pieces. However, I must admit that I haven't taken advantage of any of the networking opportunities due to lack of free time. |
Minneapolis Technical Institute • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Commercial Art (completion in 1984)
• 2/24/2012
"I had such a good experience with my teachers and fellow students. I learned so much, and especially after working in the business for a while, I realized just how well I was prepared."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Well-rounded program. It prepared me for the real world. |
| Program Reputation | I have no idea how the program is these days. It's been 27 years since I graduated. | |
| Program Quality | 9 | My school prepared me very well for the real world of graphic arts. The teachers worked in the field in addition to teaching, so they knew exactly what was going on out there. |
| Instruction | 9 | Since everybody who taught also worked in the field, they had a lot to offer. Most of them were also very good at explaining what was needed and expected. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I found it easy, because I really loved the courses. Also, the teachers taught the courses in a very clear and understandable manner, with a logical progression. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This program was all about doing; not reading about doing. This is why it was very successful in preparing us for the real world of graphic arts. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | This program was set up to be like a full-time job. You had to be there every day throughout the 2 years and had morning and afternoon breaks. It was very structured. There might have been a few night classes, but it was not part of the actual program. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I feel that whatever was needed, we had access to it or were given great discounts as students. The teachers were always available to talk to, and they were so good at listening and helping us. |
| Social Life | 9 | We had no organized events or teams, but the students spent so much time together every day that we got very close. We would go out with each other after school and work with each other on projects. It felt very social and was lots of fun. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I can't speak for the school, but our department was good at letting people know about internships and job openings. The teachers also sometimes used students (with fair pay!) in their freelance work, so we had more opportunities that way. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I think this field in general is not very "group oriented," so if people want to keep in touch, they do. There is no infrastructure in the program for keeping in touch, as far as I know. |
University Of Minnesota • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Political Science (completion in 2006)
• 3/6/2012
"I enjoyed my time there greatly and do not regret going. I would say overall I was extremely satisfied with my experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Certainly not for what I went for. They do have a very high quality computer science program, and their graphic design is adequate. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I would consider it average. Most people enter law school after doing this program. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Only used my major for actual employment for a short period of time. Went back to graphic design when I realized it was more enjoyable. |
| Instruction | 8 | Quality of instruction was decent. Typically it was more esoteric than what actually occurs in the real world. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I did not have much trouble with my courses. I found it very easy to complete all the work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | More book heavy than hands on. There were, however, many resources available if you needed more help. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Class availability is not a problem at all. You can easily find day or night classes at almost any time. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Being a large school, the facilities are top rate. Probably one of the best features of the school. |
| Social Life | 8 | School spirit was not always what I would have liked it to be. I would say it's lower than most campuses, but we typically found or organized events ourselves. |
| Placement Services | 7 | You can typically find work pretty quickly. They have a lot of programs to help students work in the field. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni network is very good. They have many resources dedicated to alumni and host a variety of events. |
Carleton College • Northfield, MN
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2003)
• 3/2/2012
"Overall it was a good experience. While I think there was more I could have learned, some of that was my own doing."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It doesn't prepare you for a specific career, but it can prepare you to adapt to any that you choose afterwards. |
| Program Reputation | In general, those who know about it are impressed, but everyone else has no clue. As for Computer Science, it's a little less impressive. | |
| Program Quality | 7 | It's got good teachers, but being a Liberal Arts College, they don't focus on one particular field and have fewer options within the field. |
| Instruction | 8 | Smart and friendly professors who want to help students learn. |
| How Difficult | 8 | They expect a lot out of you in the classes they provide. Quite a few projects and reading assignments. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A mix, but leaning more towards book learning with intermediate projects. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | It's a private college with dorms, so students are expected to devote 4 years to it, with classes being held during the day. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They have great computer labs, and professors are available during regular times as well as through email. Class sizes are small enough to prevent students from melding into one another. Study groups and tutors can be easily found or set-up. |
| Social Life | 8 | Lots of various student activities, from sports, organizations, school thrown parties, and student thrown parties. |
| Placement Services | 3 | They didn't really promote it when I was there. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They have an alumni magazine and send out emails, but I've never looked into other alumni support they may have. |
Minneapolis College Of Art And Design • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2012)
• 3/18/2012
"Really enjoyed my time at MCAD and how much it destroyed me. It has instilled in me a ludicrous work ethic and provided me with a broad network of connections in addition to a large swath of related skills."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend MCAD to other students, but would try to get them to go somewhere in the Netherlands first. If a student comes to MCAD and milks every last drop from the facilities, faculty and resources, the school is amazing. If they come to MCAD because it's close to their parents house, then that's a bummer. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | MCAD is one of the best schools in the world for graphic design, and certainly one of the best in the country due to its rigorous program. The school is losing ground right now due to some changes in curriculum and lowering of standards. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Very rigorous program at a very accredited art college. Excellent resources for students and dedicated faculty. |
| Instruction | 7 | Relevancy of material learned was questionable sometimes. Lots of "fine art" design that isn't really applicable beyond the fine arts world. Not a lot of career preparation either, but I'm not really sure how to prepare design students for careers as they're all so different. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Extremely heavy workload, stayed up many nights to get projects done. Liberal arts classes were, however, not very interesting and not as challenging as studio classes, which kick your butt. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We definitely had to buy some books, but instructors more or less gave up their use a few weeks into the semester. Lots of supplementary reading to be sourced on your own time if you're doing it right. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | As a small school, the class schedules are very inflexible. There were semesters where I was stuck taking classes in which I was not that interested because limited (and required) courses were full. I was unable to take one required course because it interfered with another course. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Amazing library collection available to students and alumni, maybe one of the best design libraries in the US. Facilities as far as studios, computer labs, printing facilities, photo studios and media equipment are also outstanding. Resources are where MCAD shines. |
| Social Life | 6 | Eh, a heavy workload and working a part time job more or less removed a "social experience" for me. There were strange art school parties to attend and lots of MCAD funded events where everyone ate hot dogs together or rode mechanical bulls or ate tacos and put on temporary tattoos. There's a yearly ball that seems to be declining in quality, but the school spirit is endearing in a sort of sad way. |
| Placement Services | 8 | There is a job board available to all students and alumni, which is where I have found all of the positions I've had during school. The actual office can be either extremely responsive or forget to respond to your emails. |
| Alumni Network | I have not yet graduated. However, the alumni network is tight, interfaces with the current students, and meets regularly as well as publishes a magazine. |
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