Selecting the Right Graphic Design School

I apologize in advance for this lengthy blog posting! As you can clearly see, I’ve been writing this content for some time now and felt it important to keep the content as thorough and informative as possible. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re about to make one of the most important decisions of your life and your career. Hopefully, you will find this article helpful in deciding what graphic design school is best for YOU.

Step 1:  Determine your goals for using your graphic design education.

I know some of you think I’m crazy for recommending step one be to determine what your goals are, but you would be surprised how little some people have actually thought about their options. For instance, do you plan to teach some day? Are you already in the design industry, but only needing software training to advance or freshen up your skills? Are you starting from scratch hoping that learning more about the technical and visual aspects of visual communication helps you find work as a graphic designer in the industry? Maybe you’re aspiring to own your own graphic design business some day? Is it possible that you’re already thinking about an advanced degree, like a Master’s Degree? Or hey, maybe you don’t want a degree, but you’re just hoping to learn some new skills to play with as a hobby?

Although most of you reading this are just hoping to specialize in what is needed to help you find work in the industry, you’d be surprised to know that not all graphic design degree programs are designed with that same goal in mind!

WARNING: Before you read further, it’s important to mention that “getting a degree” is NOT a goal! Graphic designers don’t find work because they have a degree, they find work because they are able to demonstrate strong understanding of visual, conceptual, workplace and technical skills in their portfolio of visual work samples. If you’re not sure whether you’ve selected the right degree major, stop reading here and instead read this blog posting: “Five Signs You Should Not Major in Graphic Design”. For more information regarding what they industry is expecting of graphic design graduates read this: “What the Industry Expects from Graduates”.

Step 2:  Understand the types of schools out there.

There are various types of schools with various levels of degrees out there to help you attain your goals. Here is a generalized description of the types of schools, including the pros and cons of each type to help you narrow down your search based upon how each does/doe