Best Graphic Designer programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos.
125 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 3,613 people a year. The job pays a median of $75,130 in California across about 27,390 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
7 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Designmain feeder CIP 50.0409In California → | 1,647 | 45.6% | 76 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 2 | Design and Visual Communications, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0401In California → | 591 | 16.4% | 16 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0801In California → | 440 | 12.2% | 40 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 4 | Digital Artsmain feeder CIP 50.0102In California → | 311 | 8.6% | 10 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0803In California → | 291 | 8.1% | 24 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 6 | Industrial and Product Designmain feeder CIP 50.0404In California → | 202 | 5.6% | 7 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 7 | Commercial and Advertising Artmain feeder CIP 50.0402In California → | 131 | 3.6% | 14 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 19 of the 125 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 277 | Design and Visual Communications, General | $32,816 | 86% | — | 42% |
| 2 | Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA Private for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 214 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | $45,387 | 34% | $40,294 | — |
| 3 | Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 179 | Digital Arts | $21,558 | 66% | $44,867 | 82% |
| 4 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 148 | Graphic Design | — | 36% | — | — |
| 5 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 116 | Design and Visual Communications, General | $34,845 | 50% | — | 96% |
| 6 | Sierra College Rocklin, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 112 | Graphic Design | — | 42% | — | — |
| 7 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 100 | Graphic Design | $30,065 | 68% | — | 75% |
| 8 | Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 89 | Graphic Design | $47,053 | 79% | $48,578 | 75% |
| 9 | San Diego Global Knowledge University San Diego, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 89 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | — | 45% | — | — |
| 10 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 80 | Industrial and Product Design | — | 70% | — | 91% |
| 11 | San Diego City College San Diego, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 78 | Graphic Design | — | 30% | — | — |
| 12 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 75 | Design and Visual Communications, General | $64,846 | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 13 | Gnomon North Hollywood, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 73 | Digital Arts | — | 100% | $44,138 | 42% |
| 14 | Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 66 | Computer Graphics | — | 37% | — | — |
| 15 | California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 64 | Design and Visual Communications, General | $28,673 | 61% | $40,041 | 91% |
| 16 | Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 61 | Graphic Design | — | 56% | — | — |
| 17 | Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 52 | Graphic Design | — | 48% | — | — |
| 18 | Cabrillo College Aptos, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 49 | Graphic Design | — | 38% | — | — |
| 19 | City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 49 | Graphic Design | — | 40% | — | — |
| 20 | Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 48 | Graphic Design | $26,583 | 41% | $32,792 | — |
| 21 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 47 | Graphic Design | — | 69% | — | 85% |
| 22 | Palomar College San Marcos, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 45 | Commercial and Advertising Art | — | 38% | — | — |
| 23 | California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 41 | Graphic Design | $23,160 | 57% | — | 95% |
| 24 | College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 39 | Graphic Design | — | 45% | — | — |
| 25 | Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Commercial and Advertising Art | — | 35% | — | — |
All 125 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | Davis | Public | 277 | 1 |
| Academy of Art University | San Francisco | Private for-profit | 214 | 4 |
| Otis College of Art and Design | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 179 | 4 |
| Santa Monica College | Santa Monica | Public | 148 | 2 |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco | Public | 116 | 2 |
| Sierra College | Rocklin | Public | 112 | 2 |
| California State Polytechnic University - Pomona | Pomona | Public | 100 | 1 |
| Art Center College of Design | Pasadena | Private not-for-profit | 89 | 2 |
| San Diego Global Knowledge University | San Diego | Private for-profit | 89 | 1 |
| California State University - Fullerton | Fullerton | Public | 80 | 1 |
| San Diego City College | San Diego | Public | 78 | 1 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | Private not-for-profit | 75 | 2 |
| Gnomon | North Hollywood | Private for-profit | 73 | 1 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | Public | 66 | 3 |
| California College of the Arts | San Francisco | Private not-for-profit | 64 | 3 |
What graphic designers earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $62,960. California pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Graphic Designers page.
How to become a Graphic Designer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 7 majors mapped to Graphic Designers7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0801Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design
- 11.0803Computer Graphics
- 50.0102Digital Arts
- 50.0401Design and Visual Communications, General
- 50.0402Commercial and Advertising Art
- 50.0404Industrial and Product Design
- 50.0409Graphic Design
Common questions
Answers for people weighing graphic designers programs in California.
What degree do you need to become a Graphic Designer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Graphic Design, which awarded 1,647 degrees in California in 2024-25, 45.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Graphic Designer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Design and Applied Arts, Computer Software and Media Applications, Visual and Performing Arts. Together they graduate about 3,613 people a year in California.
How much do graphic designers earn in California?+
The median is $75,130 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 19.3% above the U.S. median of $62,960. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for graphic designers growing?+
BLS projects a +2.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 20,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
125 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do graphic designers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Artist, Designer, Graphic Artist, Graphic Designer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-1024.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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