Best Colleges For Graphic Designers, Marketing

In a lot of cases, a higher education can mean a higher salary or even a better job. That's why we found out the best colleges for graphic designers, marketing. We based this list on these metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of students working, ratio of working vs. non-working students 10 years after admission, average cost of attendance and median debt for graduates.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

Graphic Designer, Marketing Education Requirements

The education needed to be a graphic designer, marketing is normally a bachelor's degree. Graphic designers, marketing usually study graphic design, fine arts or design and visual communication. 71% of graphic designers, marketing hold a bachelor's degree and 21% hold a associate degree. We found these by analyzing 3,635 graphic designer, marketing resumes to investigate the topic of graphic designer, marketing education more precisely.

The most common colleges for students to pursue their goal of becoming a graphic designer, marketing are The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and University of Phoenix. We also broke down what colleges provide the best overall education for a graphic designer, marketing. Students have a great path to earning their graphic designer, marketing qualifications at the following schools:

  1. University of Pennsylvania
  2. Carnegie Mellon University
  3. University of Southern California

If you're interested in getting a college degree in an affordable college for graphic designers, marketing - University of Florida is an excellent option for you. If your SAT or ACT score aren't as high as you'd like, you can look at Notre Dame de Namur University, as the admission requirements aren't too selective. On the other end of that spectrum are the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University and Northwestern University.

For those who would rather stay in your pajamas during the day, we prepared some online courses that can help in graphic designer, marketing education paths.

We prepared a list of a graphic designer, marketing certifications that you should consider. The necessary certifications that graphic designers, marketing must have to succeed are Master Certified Web Professional - Designer (CWP) and Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.

What Education Do You Need To Become a Graphic Designer, Marketing?

What degree do you need to be a Graphic Designer, Marketing?

The most common degree for graphic designers, marketing is bachelor's degree 71% of graphic designers, marketing earn that degree. A close second is associate degree with 21% and rounding it off is master's degree with 4%.

  • Bachelors, 71%
  • Associate, 21%
  • Masters, 4%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What Should I Major in to Become a Graphic Designer, Marketing?

Most graphic designers, marketing, 49% to be exact, major in graphic design. Some other common majors for a graphic designer, marketing include fine arts and design and visual communication majors.

Most Common Colleges For Graphic Designers, Marketing

Here are the most common colleges for a graphic designer, marketing career in the US based on their resumes. Advocates often get their degree in The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, University of Phoenix, and Full Sail University .

Graphic Designer, Marketing Common CollegePercentages
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh8.39%
University of Phoenix7.34%
Full Sail University6.99%
The Art Institute of Houston6.99%
Savannah College of Art and Design6.64%

Best Majors For Graphic Designers, Marketing

20 Best Online Courses for Graphic Designers, Marketing

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1. User Experience Design Immersive (Full-time)

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Launch a future-proof career designing digital experiences that power revenue, user loyalty, and product success. Distinguish yourself as a designer by compiling a portfolio to showcase solo, group, and client projects to employers based on UI design and Agile methodologies...

2. User Experience Design (Part Time)

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Translate user wants and needs into intuitive digital experiences that power revenue, loyalty, and product success. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex design problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

3. Design of Everyday Things

udacity

This course provides a summary of key concepts from the first two chapters of The Design of Everyday Things (Revised and Expanded Edition, November 2013) by Don Norman. It's intended to be enjoyable and informative for anyone curious about design: everyday people, technical people, designers, and non-designers alike...

4. Product Design

udacity

There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. This course is designed to help you materialize your game-changing idea and transform it into a product that you can build a business around. Product Design blends theory and practice to teach you product validation, UI/UX practices, Google's Design Sprint and the process for setting and tracking actionable metrics...

5. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process

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4.5
(912)

Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...

6. Graphic Design MasterClass- Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign

udemy
4.5
(3,721)

Graphic design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, CC & Creative Thinking...

7. Visual Design (Part Time)

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Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

8. Intro to UX Design

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Are you interested in UX Design, but have no prior experience or an idea of where to start? You’ve come to the right place! In this two-hour livestream, we’ll explore the decision-making process that separates a good user experience from a great one, and learn some tools that you can implement in your own UX process today. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to begin your UX Design journey!...

9. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design

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4.7
(45,579)

The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...

10. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects

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4.8
(623)

Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...

11. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

udemy
4.5
(15,805)

Bestselling Beginner Course! Use Photoshop, Illustrator, & InDesign for logo design, web design, poster design, and more...

12. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers

udemy
4.8
(1,049)

Icon Set Design, E-book cover, Digitizing Sketches, Social Media Design, Wordpress Web Design, Adobe Xd, GIFS and more!...

13. Introduction To Graphic Design

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4.7
(2,822)

Learn the basics of graphic design using Canva to create real world projects...

14. Graphic Design Masterclass Intermediate: The NEXT Level

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4.7
(3,429)

Up Your Graphic Design Skills: Logo Design, Photo Manipulation, Package Design, Infographics, Portfolio Building, Grids!...

15. Graphic Design Certification + Live Class

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4.1
(1,804)

Learn the most amazing and speedy graphic design tools, software and techniques in 2022...

16. Become a Professional Graphic Designer

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4.5
(1,411)

Learn what you need to know to break into the world of graphic design...

17. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects

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4.3
(2,450)

Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...

18. Canva Graphic Design Complete Guide 10+ Projects

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4
(475)

Learn how to become a professional graphic designer in Canva by creating real world projects...

19. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Advanced Training Using Adobe CC

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4.5
(485)

Project-Based Learning For Intermediate Designers: Use Photoshop, Lightroom, and Other Adobe Creative Cloud Programs...

20. Canva for Beginners - Graphic Design Theory Volume 1

udemy
4.2
(338)

Learn Canva and Graphic Design Theory in this course so that you can use Canva for your next graphic design project!...

Top 10 Affordable Universities For Graphic Designers, Marketing

If those top 10 were a bit out of your price range, you might want to check these schools instead. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price and mean earnings after 6 years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for graphic designers, marketing.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Cost of Attendance

21,034

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,240

Cost of Attendance

13,991

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,740

Cost of Attendance

17,864

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,210

Cost of Attendance

14,359

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Cost of Attendance

22,430

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Cost of Attendance

18,306

8. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,338

Cost of Attendance

14,281

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,556

Cost of Attendance

19,434

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,656

Cost of Attendance

21,623

Top 10 Hardest Universities To Get Into For Graphic Designers, Marketing

Some people like a challenge. Well, we challenge you to get into one of these schools. It's not going to be easy. We know this based on these institutions' admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted and mean earnings of students 6 years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

8%

SAT Average

1,492

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

17%

SAT Average

1,507

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions Rate

8%

SAT Average

1,508

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

19%

SAT Average

1,466

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

5%

SAT Average

1,520

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions Rate

9%

SAT Average

1,516

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

13%

SAT Average

1,445

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

4%

SAT Average

1,497

Top 10 Easier To Apply Universities For Graphic Designers, Marketing

Why make getting a job harder on yourself than it has to be? With these colleges, you're sure to be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores and average salary of students 6 years after graduation in order to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

84%

SAT Average

1,031

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

1,003

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

93%

SAT Average

1,026

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

994

6. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions Rate

91%

SAT Average

1,065

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions Rate

71%

SAT Average

1,035

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions Rate

92%

SAT Average

1,060

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions Rate

67%

SAT Average

987

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

1,099

Average Graphic Designer, Marketing Salary by Education Level

Graphic designers, marketing with a Masters degree earn more than those without, at $58,074 annually. With a Bachelors degree, graphic designers, marketing earn a median annual income of $53,052 compared to $47,435 for graphic designers, marketing with an Associate degree.

Graphic Designer, Marketing Education LevelGraphic Designer, Marketing Salary
Master's Degree$58,074
Bachelor's Degree$53,052
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,435