Best degree programs for Graphic Designers, ranked by enrollment
7 college programs and 1,229 schools train Graphic Designers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $62,960 median wage, 197,830 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
7 college programs at 1,229 schools train graphic designers, graduating 35,392 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Graphic Design. The job pays a median of $62,960 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About graphic designers
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.
A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming linguistic messages into graphic manifestations, whether tangible or intangible. They are responsible for planning, designing, projecting, and conveying messages or ideas through visual communication. Graphic design is one of the most in-demand professions with significant job opportunities, as it allows leveraging technological advancements and working online from anywhere in the world.
Read more on Wikipedia →Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
7 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Designmain feeder CIP 50.0409 | 10,754 | 30.4% | 580 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 2 | Design and Visual Communications, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0401 | 6,709 | 19.0% | 249 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0801 | 5,354 | 15.1% | 339 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 4 | Digital Artsmain feeder CIP 50.0102 | 4,316 | 12.2% | 183 | $24,752 | $25,963 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0803 | 3,730 | 10.5% | 114 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 6 | Commercial and Advertising Artmain feeder CIP 50.0402 | 3,097 | 8.8% | 161 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
| 7 | Industrial and Product Designmain feeder CIP 50.0404 | 1,432 | 4.0% | 64 | $31,611 | $26,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 1,387 | Graphic Design | 43% | $34,565 | 100% |
| 2 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT Public · 1 feeder programs | 1,008 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 45% | — | — |
| 3 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 694 | Digital Arts | 44% | $32,163 | — |
| 4 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 506 | Digital Arts | 78% | — | 40% |
| 5 | Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 439 | Graphic Design | 55% | $6,760 | 96% |
| 6 | The New School New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 407 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 69% | $54,185 | 63% |
| 7 | The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 383 | Digital Arts | 76% | — | 65% |
| 8 | School of Visual Arts New York, NY Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 341 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 76% | $58,518 | 93% |
| 9 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 312 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 10 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · 3 feeder programs | 298 | Computer Graphics | 83% | — | 50% |
| 11 | Valencia College Orlando, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 287 | Computer Graphics | 48% | — | — |
| 12 | Fashion Institute of Technology New York, NY Public · 3 feeder programs | 281 | Commercial and Advertising Art | 81% | — | 60% |
| 13 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 277 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 86% | — | 42% |
| 14 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 3 feeder programs | 268 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 40% | — | — |
| 15 | Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 257 | Commercial and Advertising Art | 33% | — | — |
| 16 | Dallas College Dallas, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 254 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 32% | — | — |
| 17 | Austin Community College District Austin, TX Public · 3 feeder programs | 245 | Digital Arts | 20% | — | — |
| 18 | NUC University Bayamon, PR Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 237 | Graphic Design | 54% | $9,377 | — |
| 19 | Atlantic University Guaynabo, PR Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 216 | Computer Graphics | 39% | $7,785 | — |
| 20 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 216 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 21 | Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA Private for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 214 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 34% | $40,294 | — |
| 22 | Ana G. Mendez University Orlando, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 183 | Graphic Design | — | — | — |
| 23 | Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 179 | Digital Arts | 66% | $44,867 | 82% |
| 24 | Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA Public · 2 feeder programs | 178 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 38% | — | — |
| 25 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 3 feeder programs | 166 | Computer Graphics | 65% | — | 74% |
| 26 | Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 153 | Computer Graphics | 39% | — | — |
| 27 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 148 | Graphic Design | 36% | — | — |
| 28 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 147 | Digital Arts | 89% | — | 27% |
| 29 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 142 | Graphic Design | 43% | $21,535 | 79% |
| 30 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · 3 feeder programs | 140 | Graphic Design | 75% | — | 89% |
| 31 | Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 130 | Commercial and Advertising Art | 20% | — | — |
| 32 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 127 | Digital Arts | 91% | — | 24% |
| 33 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 125 | Computer Graphics | 46% | — | — |
| 34 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN Public · 2 feeder programs | 121 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 20% | — | — |
| 35 | Columbus State Community College Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 118 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 28% | — | — |
| 36 | Pratt Institute - Main Brooklyn, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 118 | Industrial and Product Design | 74% | $49,088 | 73% |
| 37 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 117 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 33% | — | — |
| 38 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 116 | Industrial and Product Design | 70% | $28,133 | 67% |
| 39 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 116 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 50% | — | 96% |
| 40 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 116 | Computer Graphics | 84% | — | 57% |
| 41 | University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI Public · 3 feeder programs | 116 | Graphic Design | 55% | — | 88% |
| 42 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 115 | Commercial and Advertising Art | 54% | — | 91% |
| 43 | Spokane Community College Spokane, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 115 | Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 33% | — | — |
| 44 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 2 feeder programs | 114 | Graphic Design | 85% | — | 80% |
| 45 | CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY Public · 3 feeder programs | 113 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 21% | — | 80% |
| 46 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 112 | Graphic Design | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 47 | Sierra College Rocklin, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 112 | Graphic Design | 42% | — | — |
| 48 | Wichita State University Wichita, KS Public · 2 feeder programs | 112 | Digital Arts | 51% | — | 94% |
| 49 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH Public · 3 feeder programs | 111 | Design and Visual Communications, General | 64% | — | 81% |
| 50 | Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 111 | Digital Arts | 74% | — | 55% |
What graphic designers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $75,130 | 27,390 | 1.18× | 125 | 3,613 |
| Florida | $61,660 | 12,660 | 1.00× | 60 | 3,587 |
| New York | $77,340 | 14,530 | 1.18× | 77 | 2,818 |
| Texas | $60,150 | 13,670 | 0.76× | 54 | 2,490 |
| Utah | $62,310 | 2,720 | 1.23× | 16 | 1,613 |
| New Hampshire | $60,490 | 790 | 0.91× | 8 | 1,429 |
| Ohio | $60,080 | 7,280 | 1.03× | 53 | 1,361 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,730 | 8,150 | 1.06× | 59 | 1,130 |
| North Carolina | $58,450 | 5,660 | 0.90× | 36 | 1,082 |
| Illinois | $62,560 | 8,960 | 1.15× | 53 | 920 |
| Georgia | $60,250 | 5,920 | 0.95× | 26 | 907 |
| Arizona | $58,510 | 3,560 | 0.86× | 26 | 903 |
| Washington | $72,710 | 3,960 | 0.88× | 31 | 857 |
| Michigan | $57,350 | 6,070 | 1.08× | 41 | 787 |
| Indiana | $55,480 | 3,450 | 0.85× | 27 | 768 |
| Virginia | $72,310 | 4,740 | 0.91× | 22 | 685 |
| Wisconsin | $59,900 | 4,130 | 1.10× | 31 | 680 |
| Massachusetts | $76,710 | 4,450 | 0.96× | 40 | 667 |
| Minnesota | $63,860 | 5,570 | 1.48× | 31 | 646 |
| Idaho | $50,350 | 920 | 0.84× | 8 | 603 |
| Oklahoma | $53,630 | 2,040 | 0.94× | 31 | 543 |
| New Jersey | $73,790 | 5,670 | 1.04× | 29 | 528 |
| Missouri | $56,750 | 4,500 | 1.20× | 24 | 490 |
| Maryland | $75,120 | 3,050 | 0.87× | 19 | 484 |
| Iowa | $50,310 | 2,100 | 1.06× | 30 | 466 |
| South Carolina | $57,170 | 1,930 | 0.66× | 18 | 433 |
| Colorado | $66,330 | 4,200 | 1.15× | 17 | 394 |
| Oregon | $66,040 | 4,140 | 1.66× | 16 | 384 |
| Kansas | $53,630 | 1,730 | 0.94× | 15 | 367 |
| Tennessee | $57,270 | 3,880 | 0.93× | 26 | 324 |
| Nebraska | $56,700 | 1,670 | 1.28× | 14 | 303 |
| Alabama | $51,070 | 1,760 | 0.65× | 14 | 274 |
| Louisiana | $49,910 | 1,750 | 0.71× | 14 | 255 |
| Arkansas | $46,220 | 1,390 | 0.84× | 15 | 248 |
| Connecticut | $72,700 | 1,930 | 0.89× | 7 | 233 |
| Kentucky | $52,960 | 2,060 | 0.81× | 12 | 200 |
| Nevada | $62,890 | 1,570 | 0.80× | 7 | 157 |
| Rhode Island | $78,220 | 750 | 1.17× | 7 | 140 |
| Mississippi | $45,640 | 830 | 0.56× | 8 | 123 |
| West Virginia | $40,350 | 520 | 0.58× | 10 | 112 |
| Vermontmoderate | $65,690 | 410 | 1.06× | 4 | 108 |
| Delawaremoderate | $60,130 | 360 | 0.58× | 3 | 84 |
| Hawaiimoderate | $58,070 | 520 | 0.65× | 4 | 77 |
| New Mexico | $56,730 | 850 | 0.77× | 9 | 77 |
| South Dakota | $48,390 | 470 | 0.81× | 10 | 64 |
| Mainemoderate | $60,030 | 560 | 0.69× | 3 | 54 |
| Montana | $56,890 | 610 | 0.93× | 6 | 43 |
| District of Columbiamoderate | $87,920 | 1,150 | 1.29× | 4 | 38 |
| North Dakotamoderate | $56,470 | 460 | 0.85× | 3 | 30 |
| Wyoming | $45,150 | 240 | 0.67× | 5 | 23 |
| Alaskalimited | $62,570 | 180 | 0.45× | 1 | 14 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
- Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
- Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.
- Develop graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and Web sites.
- Create designs, concepts, and sample layouts, based on knowledge of layout principles and esthetic design concepts.
- Use computer software to generate new images.
- Prepare digital files for printing.
- Confer with clients to discuss and determine layout design.
Skills
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.4
- Active Learning3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Writing3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Monitoring3.0
- Learning Strategies2.8
Knowledge areas
- Design4.7
- Computers and Electronics4.4
- Fine Arts4.4
- Communications and Media4.3
- English Language3.8
- Sales and Marketing3.6
Abilities
- Originality4.0
- Near Vision3.9
- Fluency of Ideas3.9
- Written Comprehension3.8
- Oral Comprehension3.6
- Oral Expression3.5
Core activities
- Thinking Creatively4.9
- Working with Computers4.8
- Getting Information4.6
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.2
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.2
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
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.
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
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
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 10,754 degrees in 2024-25, 30.4% 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 35,392 people a year.
How much do graphic designers earn?+
The median is $62,960 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $39,520 at the 10th percentile to $104,910 at the 90th. 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?+
1,229 institutions 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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