Best Graphic Designer programs in Michigan, ranked by enrollment
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos.
41 schools in Michigan run programs that feed this job, graduating 787 people a year. The job pays a median of $57,350 in Michigan across about 6,070 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Michigan that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
7 programs in Michigan that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Michigan (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 Michigan page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Designmain feeder CIP 50.0409In Michigan → | 329 | 41.8% | 23 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 2 | CIP 11.0803In Michigan → | 167 | 21.2% | 8 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0801In Michigan → | 126 | 16.0% | 13 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 4 | Digital Artsmain feeder CIP 50.0102In Michigan → | 100 | 12.7% | 4 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 5 | Industrial and Product Designmain feeder CIP 50.0404In Michigan → | 38 | 4.8% | 4 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 6 | Design and Visual Communications, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0401In Michigan → | 17 | 2.2% | 4 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 7 | Commercial and Advertising Artmain feeder CIP 50.0402In Michigan → | 10 | 1.3% | 2 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
Top 25 schools in Michigan
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 41 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 111 | Digital Arts | — | 81% | — | 85% |
| 2 | Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 67 | Graphic Design | $30,687 | 58% | — | 88% |
| 3 | Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 65 | Computer Graphics | — | 33% | — | — |
| 4 | Macomb Community College Warren, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 50 | Computer Graphics | — | 18% | — | — |
| 5 | Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 48 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | — | 17% | — | — |
| 6 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 36 | Graphic Design | $39,077 | 58% | — | 85% |
| 7 | Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 35 | Graphic Design | $34,045 | 47% | — | 91% |
| 8 | Jackson College Jackson, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Computer Graphics | — | 16% | — | — |
| 9 | Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Graphic Design | $27,577 | 48% | — | 72% |
| 10 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 31 | Digital Arts | — | 59% | — | 90% |
| 11 | College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | — | 71% | $32,153 | 92% |
| 12 | Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 24 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | — | 21% | — | — |
| 13 | Schoolcraft Community College District Livonia, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Computer Graphics | — | 18% | — | — |
| 14 | Muskegon Community College Muskegon, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Graphic Design | — | 28% | — | — |
| 15 | Adrian College Adrian, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Graphic Design | — | 48% | $20,357 | 73% |
| 16 | Mott Community College Flint, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Graphic Design | — | 32% | — | — |
| 17 | Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Industrial and Product Design | — | 61% | $32,679 | 56% |
| 18 | Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kalamazoo, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Graphic Design | — | 28% | — | — |
| 19 | Northwestern Michigan College Traverse City, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Computer Graphics | — | 25% | — | — |
| 20 | Cornerstone University Grand Rapids, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Graphic Design | — | 62% | $21,132 | 78% |
| 21 | Lansing Community College Lansing, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Computer Graphics | — | 25% | — | — |
| 22 | Southwestern Michigan College Dowagiac, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Graphic Design | — | 38% | — | — |
| 23 | Cranbrook Academy of Art Bloomfield Hills, MI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 8 | Graphic Design | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | St Clair County Community College Port Huron, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Computer Graphics | — | 34% | — | — |
| 25 | Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Graphic Design | — | 74% | $22,391 | 71% |
All 41 schools in Michigan
Every school in Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University | East Lansing | Public | 111 | 2 |
| Oakland University | Rochester Hills | Public | 67 | 1 |
| Washtenaw Community College | Ann Arbor | Public | 65 | 3 |
| Macomb Community College | Warren | Public | 50 | 2 |
| Henry Ford College | Dearborn | Public | 48 | 1 |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo | Public | 36 | 2 |
| Ferris State University | Big Rapids | Public | 35 | 3 |
| Jackson College | Jackson | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Saginaw Valley State University | University Center | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant | Public | 31 | 2 |
| College for Creative Studies | Detroit | Private not-for-profit | 30 | 2 |
| Grand Rapids Community College | Grand Rapids | Public | 24 | 1 |
| Schoolcraft Community College District | Livonia | Public | 20 | 1 |
| Muskegon Community College | Muskegon | Public | 19 | 2 |
| Adrian College | Adrian | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 2 |
What graphic designers earn in Michigan
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $62,960. Michigan pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Michigan
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 Michigan
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 Michigan.
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 329 degrees in Michigan in 2024-25, 41.8% 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 787 people a year in Michigan.
How much do graphic designers earn in Michigan?+
The median is $57,350 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 8.9% below 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 Michigan?+
41 institutions in Michigan 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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