Interested in a career in graphic design? Choosing the right school is a key first step for students who want to build a successful career in the field. With over 85 colleges and universities in Arkansas, choosing which school is the best fit for your life can be challenging to say the least – while there is no conclusive formula for choosing the institution that is right for you, you can start by reviewing school rankings and guides to help you narrow down your list.

Best Graphic Design Programs in Arkansas for 2019

Top 10 Graphic Design Programs in Arkansas

School rankings are based on data published by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a system of surveys conducted annually by the U.S. Department of Education. Key factors include a commitment to high academic standards, return on investment, faculty ratings, and long-term employment statistics that track graduate success.
  • University of Arkansas
  • Arkansas State University
  • Harding University
  • Ouachita Baptist University
  • University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
  • Southern Arkansas University
  • University of Central Arkansas
  • Arkansas Tech University
  • John Brown University

Our Rankings

Graphic designers communicate visually with their intended audience through the use of type, space, and visual imagery. Graphic designers use their considerable artistic and technical skills to produce any type of published material – signage, brochures, webpages, ads – for any number of fields, including museums, restaurants, businesses, and healthcare to name a few. The best graphic design courses integrate both practice and theory in key concepts, while encouraging critical thinking, visual problem-solving, and innovation. The colleges below have proven excellence in their labs and lecture halls, and offer the very best education for graphic design.

Arkansas Employment & Jobs Outlook

Graphic design graduates are able to enter the workforce with the skills and professionalism that many companies find very desirable, regardless of industry. Frequently however, new graphic artists find themselves competing fiercely for available jobs in their preferred field due to the many talented individuals who are attracted to careers in the same field. According to Careerinfonet.org’s employment data, the outlook for graphic designers is favorable. In Arkansas alone, job prospects are expected to increase by 8% from now until the year 2020. The outlook equates to approximately 50 new job openings every year from the present time until 2020 – consisting mainly of new job growth.