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 Central Piedmont Community College, Wake Technical Community College, and Duke.
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 Chowan, Peace College, and North Carolina A & T.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Peace College and Meredith College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider North Carolina A & T, Elizabeth City State, Chowan, and School of Communication Arts.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Piedmont Community College, Lenoir Community College, Central Piedmont Community College, and Pitt Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Duke, Chowan, Queens University of Charlotte, and Lees - McRae.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Chowan, Meredith College, Elizabeth City State, and Lees - McRae.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Duke, NC State, and Appalachian State.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Duke, Campbell, North Carolina A & T, and Chowan.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Duke, Meredith College, Peace College, and NC State.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight North Carolina Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: Charlotte, Durham
- Programs: 19 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Certificate, Diploma, Master
- Locations: Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
See these schools on a map
Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor
International Academy of Design & Technology Online
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of North Carolina Wilmington • Wilmington, NC
Studying Digital Arts (completion in 2010)
• 7/6/2011
"I loved my school. It was not only helpful, but fun. I learned a lot and I do not regret the years spent there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend my school to others. It was very helpful and it offers many great programs for anyone. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Many people know UNCW for its film and digital arts programs. Many classes are offered there. |
| Program Quality | 8 | UNCW was very helpful for me. They have really good professors. |
| Instruction | 7 | My professors taught me a lot. I learned a lot of information during my internship as well. |
| How Difficult | 5 | My classes were difficult but not impossible. I enjoyed them because they presented a challenge for me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were many programs that I considered to be hands on. the professors let their students make a lot of projects. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | My school provided many classes during the day and night. There were even classes as late as 8 and 9 at night. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | I believe that my school could've had more modern software on their computers. There was only one computer lab that offered Macs. |
| Social Life | 7 | I attended many of the school events that were offered. I was not into watching sporting events, though. |
| Placement Services | 7 | UNCW offers a program for graduates to search for careers. That site was very helpful for me. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | UNCW offers a program for graduates to search for careers. That site was very helpful for me, as was my adviser. |
UNCG • Greensboro, NC
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2013)
• 7/21/2011
"I like the environment. Getting a degree is the ultimate goal."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Go to a more reputable school for my major. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | UNCG is considered poor when compared to surrounding schools. They are known mostly for education programs. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Their program isn't the most up-to-date, and the professors are about the same. The coursework is challenging, though. |
| Instruction | 7 | The professors were on the whole very good. A couple seemed to be behind on current practices and technology. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The coursework isn't as difficult as that of other schools. I also rarely find schoolwork extremely difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good mix. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Numerous online courses. Several sections of classes available. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Numerous recently updated buildings. Several buildings with new tech upgrades. |
| Social Life | 1 | I do not like people. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I've had no involvement with this office. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | They have a large community of alumni that never left Greensboro after graduation. This lends to long-term connections to the school. |
King's College • Charlotte, NC
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2008)
• 8/29/2011
"I was very satisfied with the program in general. The school as a whole was very deceitful about tuition and expenses, however."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The program for graphic design is very comprehensive and beneficial. The school itself was deceitful, and I wouldn't recommend this school without a warning. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Although not well known, the school produces job ready students and helps place them in the field. I've never heard anything negative from employers. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The program was very comprehensive and applicable to a real world environment. Only minimal general education classes were required. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instruction was very comprehensive and applicable to a real world environment. Instructors were knowledgeable and have experience in the field. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Five hours of class a day/ five days a week. Sixteen month program with minimal breaks. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program was a good mix. Traditional syllabus learning as well as hands-on projects were offered. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | The classes are scheduled for you with no leeway. If you fail a class, you have to wait a year to retake it with the next student group. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The campus is small and it's easy to maneuver around. Mac and PC computer labs as well as a well stocked library were provided. |
| Social Life | 8 | Social interaction within your program was encouraged. Social interaction with students of other study programs was not encouraged. |
| Placement Services | 10 | This school offers lifetime job placement assistance in your field of study. They acquired the interview for my current job. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | Very easy to connect with your own graduating class, but not so with previous classes. School offers lifetime job placement assistance. |
Tri-County Community College • Murphy, NC
Studying Internet Technology (completion in 2008)
• 11/29/2011
"I would not recommend this school. It was a bland experience, with no real help for my career. All of my learning was self-taught."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would not recommend starting in a two-year college for graphic design. I would recommend going directly to a university. As a result of such poor training, I find myself now pursuing an English degree in a four-year school. |
| Program Reputation | 2 | Tri-County is known as the school to go to if you want to become a plumber or an electrician. It provided nothing more than a piece of paper with a credential. |
| Program Quality | 3 | My school provided no real instruction. As students, we were left to essentially educate ourselves in our chosen major. |
| Instruction | 1 | There was no instruction. There was no real-world application or any hands-on learning. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Assignments were given based on the textbook. No techniques were taught; the students had to have a knack for design. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was all basically textbook learning. We had a few times when we were given hands-on assignments in logo design with Illustrator. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Plenty of online classes were available, making the schedule easy. There were also plenty of night classes available. |
| Academic Facilities | 2 | The library books were dated, and the computers were extremely out of date. There was only one Apple computer with Adobe Creative Suite per lab, leaving long lines waiting to use it. |
| Social Life | 1 | No one really appeared to be into the whole college experience. I don't recall seeing any school-sponsored events. |
| Placement Services | 2 | No assistance was given for job placement. Furthermore, no one even bothered to inquire about job prospects. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I never met any alumni. The alumni only showed up on graduation day. |
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