Considering college and university choices is a critical first step for graphic design students. With more than 1020 colleges and universities throughout the nation offering graphic design programs, selecting the school that is the best fit for you can be a big task! Although there is no magic formula for choosing the best school for your academic needs and lifestyle, you can start by reading school rankings and guides to help you find the best college or university.

Best Graphic Design Programs in Iowa for 2019

Top 10 Graphic Design Programs in Iowa

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.
  • Iowa State University
  • University of Northern Iowa
  • Drake University
  • University of Iowa
  • Mount Mercy University
  • University of Dubuque
  • Morningside College
  • Saint Ambrose University
  • Simpson College
  • Briar Cliff University

Our Rankings

Formerly known as graphic art, graphic design is the title given to commercial art that is used to communicate a purposeful message, often for another organization or company. From marketing to manufacturing, and healthcare to fashion, graphic designers work alone and as part of a creative team to develop a company’s advertising messages to the public. As graphic designers share messages in a visual manner using their artistic and computer skills, the best college programs available today are experts in teaching students how to work strategically with space, fonts, images, logos, and colour to convey a company’s intent in print or digital format. Below we’ve listed programs with a history of proven teaching excellence, and that offer the best in art education.

Iowa Employment & Jobs Outlook

Graduating with a graphic design degree from an accredited college or university gains the notice of companies who are willing to pay for their specialized and accredited skillset. While positions like these are highly sought after, those graduates with strong portfolios and degrees or diplomas will meet with the most employment success. According to the employment trend report published at Careerinfonet.org, the outlook for graphic design jobs in Iowa is favorable. With newly created positions generating 13% growth from year to year until 2020, Iowa can expect 110 new job openings per year.