49 Best Colleges for Graphic Design – 2024

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty ratio at RISD is just 9:1 which means students get a ton of personalized attention from their professors. The average class size is just 15 students. Among the most popular majors are architecture, cinematography and video production, painting, sculpture, illustration, and computer graphics. In total, there are 44 full-time bachelor’s and master’s degree programs for students to choose from.

Professional Outcomes: Recent graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design found their next positive career/educational step at a 97% clip. Companies hiring RISD grads include Athleta, Citigroup, Chewy, Deloitte, Coach, Barefoot Books, the New York Times, Nickelodeon, NVIDIA, NASA, Fidelity, Google, Paramount, Reebok, and West Elm. 46% of recent grads earned more than $40,000 as a starting salary.

Academic Highlights: There are 1,200 faculty members at Pratt Institute that provide instruction to 48 academic programs. An enviable 74% of class sections enroll fewer than 20 students. Overall, 65% of all degrees conferred fall under the performing arts umbrella with illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, game design, and cinematography and video production all on the menu. 20% of Pratt students earn architecture degrees and 10% study communication technologies.

Professional Outcomes: Looking at recent Pratt grads, 90% were gainfully employed or attending grad school within six months of earning their undergraduate diploma. Employers who scoop up Pratt alumni include Warner Media, NBC Universal, Gensler, David Zwirner, Apple, PepsiCo, IBM, and LVMH. Further, 78% of graduates are satisfied with their occupation and 85% report that their job is relevant to their field of study.

Academic Highlights: Savannah College of Art and Design offers more than 40 programs of study and close to half of all classes enroll no more than 19 students. The most commonly pursued degrees are Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects (21%), Illustration (14%), Digital Communication (13%), Cinematography and Film Production (9%), and Fashion/Apparel Design (6%).

Professional Outcomes: A tremendous 99% of SCAD graduates report being employed or engaged in further study within ten months of graduating. Further, 91% state that they are working in a field/position related to their area of study. Many alumni are self-employed but sizable numbers also obtain employment with Amazon, Apple, Deloitte, Gensler, Google, Microsoft, Blizzard Entertainment, Epic Games, and Walt Disney Imagineering.

Academic Highlights: In total, the university offers more than 300 programs of study, 100+ of which are distinct undergraduate degrees spread across ten schools/colleges. Many classes at BU are reasonably small—60% contain fewer than twenty students; only 19% contain more than forty. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in social sciences (16%), business/marketing (15%), communications and journalism (15%), biology (11%), engineering (9%), and health professions/related sciences (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 90% of BU grads have found their way into the world of employment or full-time graduate study. Across all graduating years, companies employing more than 350 BU alums include Google, Oracle, Accenture, IBM, and Amazon Web Services. Of the one-quarter of grads who move directly into graduate school, many are welcomed onto the campuses of elite graduate programs. For example, engineering students found new academic homes at MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia.

Academic Highlights: There are a combined 80+ undergraduate majors and 90 minors available across the six schools. Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with 36% containing single digits. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (21%), computer science (16%), mathematics (12%), business (10%), and visual and performing arts (9%).

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 66% of 2022 grads were employed, and 28% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, McKinsey, and Deloitte. With an average starting salary of $105,194, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally. Of those pursuing graduate education, around 20% typically enroll immediately in PhD programs.

Academic Highlights: Yale offers 80 majors, most of which require a one- to two-semester senior capstone experience. Undergraduate research is a staple, and over 70% of classes—of which there are over 2,000 to choose from—have an enrollment of fewer than 20 students, making Yale a perfect environment for teaching and learning. Among the top departments are biology, economics, global affairs, engineering, history, and computer science. The social sciences (26%), biology (11%), mathematics (8%), and computer science (8%) are the most popular areas of concentration.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduating, 73% of the Yale Class of 2022 had entered the world of employment and 18% matriculated into graduate programs. Hundreds of Yale alums can be found at each of the world’s top companies including Google, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, and Microsoft. The most common industries entered by the newly hired were finance (20%), research/education (16%), technology (14%), and consulting (12%). The mean starting salary for last year’s grads was $81,769 ($120k for CS majors). Nearly one-fifth of students immediately pursue graduate school.

Academic Highlights: There are 140 undergraduate majors and minors within the Dornsife College of Arts & Sciences alone, the university’s oldest and largest school. The Marshall School of Business, Viterbi School of Engineering, and programs in communication, the cinematic arts, and the performing arts are highly acclaimed. Popular areas of study are business (22%), social sciences (11%), visual and performing arts (11%), communications/journalism (9%), and engineering (8%). Most courses enroll 10-19 students, and USC does an excellent job facilitating undergraduate research opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of undergrads experience positive postgraduation outcomes within six months of earning their degree. The top five industries entered were finance, consulting, advertising, software development, and engineering; the median salary across all majors is an astounding $79k. Presently, between 300 and 1,500 alumni are employed at each of Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, and Meta. Graduate/professional schools enrolling the greatest number of 2022 USC grads include NYU, Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, Pepperdine, and UCLA.

Academic Highlights: WashU admits students into five schools, many of which offer nationally recognized programs: Arts & Sciences, the Olin School of Business, the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and the Art of Architecture programs housed within the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (13%), social sciences (13%), business (13%), biology (11%), and psychology (10%). 66% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and over one-quarter have single-digit enrollments. 65% double major or pursue a minor.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 sent 52% of grads into the workforce and 28% into graduate and professional schools. Companies employing the highest number of WashU grads feature sought-after employers such as Amazon, Bain, Boeing, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft. Of the employed members of the Class of 2022 who reported their starting salaries, 79% made more than $60k. The universities welcoming the largest number of Bears included the prestigious institutions of Caltech, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Stanford.

Academic Highlights: Northeastern offers 290 majors and 180 combined majors within nine colleges and programs. Experiential learning is had by virtually all graduates, thanks to the school’s illustrious and robust co-op program. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business is a top-ranked school and offers one of the best international business programs anywhere, and both the College of Engineering and College of Computer Science are highly respected as well. Criminal justice, architecture, and nursing are three other majors that rate near the top nationally.

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after leaving Northeastern, 97% of students have landed at their next employment or graduate school destination. Huskies entering the job market are quickly rounded up by the likes of State Street, Fidelity Investments, IBM, and Amazon, all of whom employ 500+ Northeastern alums. Between 200 and 500 employees at Wayfair, Google, Amazon, Oracle, IBM, and Apple have an NU lineage. Starting salaries are above average (55% make more than $60k), in part due to the stellar co-op program.

Academic Highlights: UCLA offers 125 majors in 100+ academic departments, and more than 60 majors require a capstone experience that results in the creation of a tangible product under the mentorship of faculty members. The most commonly conferred degrees are in the social sciences (25%), biology (16%), psychology (11%), mathematics (8%), and engineering (7%). Departmental rankings are high across the board, especially in computer science, engineering, film, fine and performing arts, mathematics, and political science.

Professional Outcomes: UCLA grads flow most heavily into the research, finance, computer science, and engineering sectors. High numbers of recent grads can be found at Disney, Google, EY, Teach for America, Amazon, and Oracle. Hundreds also can be found at Bloomberg, Deloitte, Mattel, Oracle, and SpaceX. The average starting salary exceeds $55,000. 16% of recent grads enrolled directly in a graduate/professional school, with other CA-based institutions like Stanford, Pepperdine, USC, Berkeley, and Loyola Marymount being the most popular.

Academic Highlights: Eight of UIUC’s fifteen schools cater to undergraduate students. There are 150 academic programs offered, including those at the acclaimed Grainger College of Engineering and Gies College of Business. In sheer volume of degrees conferred, engineering and business/marketing are tied at 19%, followed by the social sciences (9%) and psychology (6%). 39% of sections are capped at 19 students. 29% of undergraduates work with a faculty member on a research project; another 22% have some type of fieldwork, practicum, or clinical experience.

Professional Outcomes: 95% of the members of the Class of 2022 landed at their next destination within six months of graduation, with 38% matriculating directly into an advanced degree program. 57% were employed full-time; the most popular sectors were finance, consulting, healthcare, electronics, and education. Corporations landing the most recent Illini grads were KPMG, Deloitte, Epic Systems, EY, PwC, and Amazon. The average salary across all Class of 2022 majors was an extremely solid $75,000.

Academic Highlights: There are 150 majors available across eight freshman-admitting undergraduate colleges. 65% of class sections enroll 29 or fewer students. The most commonly conferred degrees are in biology (13%), business & marketing (11%), engineering (10%), the social sciences (10%), computer science (9%), and psychology (8%). The College of Science and Engineering and the Carlson School of Management have strong national reputations, and the chemistry, economics, psychology, and political science departments are also well-regarded.

Professional Outcomes: The top seven companies snatching up the largest number of recent grads are all companies headquartered in the state of Minnesota: Medtronic, Target, 3M, United Health Group, US Bank, and Cargill. Google, Apple, and Meta all employ hundreds of Twin Cities alumni. The mean starting salary for recent grads was $50k. With 130 graduate programs in science, art, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and the humanities, the University of Minnesota retains many of its graduates as they pursue their next degrees.

Academic Highlights: Over 70% of the Ringling College of Art and Design’s classes take place in a small learning environment of no more than 19 students. There are no large lecture hall classes at this school that caters primarily to Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects (34%), Illustration (31%), Art (13%), and Cinematography and Film/Video Production (11%) majors.

Professional Outcomes: A good number of Ringling College of Art and Design alumni are currently self-employed and/or doing freelance work in a creative field. Those who have more formal employment arrangements are most frequently hired by DreamWorks Animation, Pixar Animation Studios, Hallmark Cards, Meta, Blizzard Entertainment, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Electronic Arts, Amazon, and Feld Entertainment.

Academic Highlights: A 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio at the New School allows for 89% of course sections to enroll under 20 students. This means students in all academic programs receive a great deal of personalized instruction and attention. The most popular majors at the New School all fall under the umbrella of the visual arts (62%). A smattering of students also concentrate in computer science (11%), journalism (7%), liberal arts (6%), and English (4%).

Professional Outcomes: Within the first year after earning their bachelor’s degree, 82% of graduates have already found their first employment opportunity or elected to continue their studies. 70% of recent grads entered the working world and another 12% entered an advanced degree program. Employers of 15 or more alumni include the United Nations, JP Morgan and Co., Amazon, The New York Times, Meta, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. The Warrington College of Business and the Wertheim College of Engineering are highly respected, so it’s no surprise that those two programs confer the greatest percentage of degrees—12% and 14%, respectively. Biology (11%), the social sciences (11%), and health professions (8%) are next in popularity. 53% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and 33% of students partake in an undergraduate research experience.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 66% of the Class of 2022 had already procured a first job. The top occupational areas were engineering (13%), health care (13%), computer science (5%), and marketing (4%). 200+ Gator alumni can be found at top corporations like Google, EY, Raymond James, Deloitte, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, and PwC. The average salary for all 2022 grads was $69k, with a high of $100k for computer science majors. Of those pursuing advanced degrees, a master’s degree was the most popular pursuit (63%) followed by law school (11%).

Academic Highlights: Students come to the California Institute of the Arts for very specific reasons. The most commonly pursued majors include animation, interactive technology, video graphics and special effects (28%),  acting (8%), fine/studio arts (8%), music theory and composition (8%), graphic design (8%), and technical theatre/theatre design and technology (8%). Classes are small and personalized instruction is available thanks to a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Professional Outcomes: Many graduates go on to do freelance work or are self-employed, but large numbers of students are scooped up by the Walt Disney Company, Pixar Animation Studios, Netflix, Apple, Nickelodeon Animation, and DreamWorks Animation. Some also work in the tech industry for the likes of Google and Apple. The vast majority of alumni settle in Los Angeles, but many others travel to New York City and San Francisco.

Academic Highlights: There are 280+ undergraduate degree programs across fourteen schools and colleges, and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) enrolls the majority of students. The Ross School of Business offers highly rated programs in entrepreneurship, management, accounting, and finance. The College of Engineering is also one of the best in the country. By degrees conferred, engineering (15%), computer science (14%), and the social sciences (11%) are most popular. A solid 56% of classes have fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school, with healthcare, education, law, banking, research, nonprofit work, and consulting being the most popular sectors. Within three months, 99% of Ross grads are employed with a median salary of $90k. Top employers include Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, EY, Morgan Stanley, PwC, Deloitte, and Amazon.  Within six months, 96% of engineering grads are employed (average salary of $84k) or in grad school. General Motors, Ford, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta employ the greatest number of alumni.

Academic Highlights: Temple offers 100 undergraduate programs, including those at the well-regarded Fox School of Business. Other programs with strong national reputations include criminal justice, public health, and kinesiology. The most undergraduate degrees are conferred in business (22%) followed by communication/journalism and health professions (tied at 11%), the visual and performing arts (8%), biology (7%), psychology (6%), and computer science (5%). 42% of classes have an enrollment of 19 or fewer students, and 71% contain no more than 29 undergraduates.

Professional Outcomes: 51% of recent grads quickly secured employment and another 18% were enrolled in graduate school. Hundreds of Owl alumni can be found at big-time companies such as Merck, Comcast, Vanguard, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, and Bristol Myers Squib. Within six months of graduating, 91% of Fox School of Business 2021 graduates were employed or had started their own businesses. The median salary for all graduates of that school was $57,000.

Academic Highlights: There are 80+ undergraduate majors to choose from at Drexel and they offer a reasonable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio with commensurately reasonable class sizes. Fifty-two percent of sections contain 19 or fewer students, and just a sliver under 9% of sections contain fifty or more. Looking at the number of degrees conferred by discipline, the big three at Drexel are business (25%), health professions (21%), and engineering (17%). Visual and performing arts (9%), and CS (8%) round out the list of majors with a sizable representation.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 97%, Dragons have arrived at their next destination; 81% were employed, and 13% had matriculated into graduate or professional school. The largest employers of Drexel alumni are Comcast, Merck, Vanguard, and Johnson & Johnson. The average starting salary for Drexel grads with a full-time job was $64,774. Drexel’s medical school acceptance rate was 60%, roughly 20 points higher than the national average. It offers an accelerated BS/MD program with its own Drexel University College of Medicine.

Academic Highlights: There are nine undergraduate colleges at RIT, including the top-ranked Gleason College of Engineering and the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. The co-op program is the fourth oldest in the country; most students complete a one- or two-semester paid learning experience. The most popular majors are engineering & engineering technologies (34%), computer and information sciences (20%), visual and performing arts (10%), and business (9%). RIT’s game design program is the best on the East Coast, and programs in film, art, and design are also quite strong.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 95% of recent grads had found employment or a full-time graduate program. Major companies presently employing more than 500 RIT alums include Xerox and Paychex, both with offices in Rochester. Between 200 and 450 employees of IBM, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Amazon, Google, and Cisco were educated at RIT. Starting salary figures vary greatly by major with College of Business grads landing a median starting salary of $63k and computer science majors of $102k right out of school.

Academic Highlights: Undergrads pursue one of 95 bachelor’s programs offered through the 11 (of 16) colleges that grant undergraduate degrees. The most popular majors are business/marketing (16%), health professions (13%), and engineering (13%) followed by biology (12%), psychology (9%), and the social sciences (5%). The business, engineering, and computer science programs all have a solid national reputation. Close to two-thirds of classes enroll fewer than 29 students.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 had a 97% success rate six months after graduation, with 14% enrolling directly in graduate school. Students on the engineering, applied sciences, and public health tracks found employment or a graduate school home at the highest rates. By volume, the largest employer of UIC grads is Chicago Public Schools. More than 100 alumni can also be found employed by Allstate, Amazon, Accenture, Microsoft, IBM, Google, Deloitte, and Meta. The average salary for a 2022 grad was a solid $64k.

Academic Highlights: The oldest degree-granting college of art and design in the country, MICA offers 14 undergraduate majors and 23 minors. In addition to classic fine arts majors like painting, fiber, sculpture, and photography, MICA also offers innovative degrees in areas like Ecosystems, Sustainability, and Justice and Studio and Humanistic Studies. 40% of undergrads are fine arts majors while 60% are design and media arts majors. The student-to-faculty ratio is 8:1.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 experienced overwhelmingly positive outcomes with 95% employed. 96% were working in a field related to their area of study and 5% were pursuing graduate coursework. Over the past five years, the most alumni have gone on to the arts and design, business development, and education sectors. Top employers include the Maryland Institute College of Art, Towson University, Google, Baltimore City Public Schools, Johns Hopkins, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and the Pratt Institute. A large number are also self-employed.

Academic Highlights: With more than 100 majors available across six undergraduate colleges, Iowa State has no shortage of academic pathways to explore. The student-to-faculty ratio is 19:1, yet, courses are a mix of large and small. 31% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students and 22% enroll more than 50. In terms of sheer popularity, engineering wins the day accounting for 23% of degrees earned in 2022. Business (18%), agricultural fields (10%), biology (5%), and education (5%) also see high volume.

Professional Outcomes: Graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are employed in fairly large numbers by the likes of John Deere, Principal Financial Group, and Amazon. Overall, the most alumni work for Wells Fargo, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, Collins Aerospace, Cargill, and Microsoft. Most remain in Iowa after graduation but many also move to Minnesota, Chicago, California, or Texas. The average starting salary for an engineering grad was $74,716 in 2023.

Academic Highlights: The university’s 16 colleges and schools house 100 undergraduate programs, including the top-ranked engineering, business, and computer science departments. Forty-four percent of courses enroll 19 students or fewer while 17% are on the larger side, enrolling 50 or more students. Popular majors include the social sciences (14%), business (13%), engineering (8%), computer science (8%), psychology (8%), communication/journalism (6%), and health professions (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 63% of recent grads planned to enter full-time employment while 25% jumped directly into an advanced degree program. Employers hiring the greatest number of Utes include Intermountain Healthcare, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Microsoft, Adobe, Pluralsight, and Lucid. The average starting salary is $65,786, and the median is $58,240.

Academic Highlights: The faculty-to-student ratio is a fairly high 19:1, but not all classes call for stadium seating. In fact, 40% of course sections seat fewer than twenty students. Business is the concentration in which 22% of total bachelor’s degrees are conferred. Engineering (9%), biology (9%), and the health professions (7%) are the next three most popular. The WP Carey School of Business offers many highly ranked programs as does the Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Professional Outcomes: A healthy 83% percent of ASU graduates looking for work are employed within six months of earning their degrees. The median salary for an ASU grad is roughly $55,000. Among the school’s top fifty employers are Amazon, Apple, Intel, The Vanguard Group, and Walt Disney Company. Approximately one-fifth of recent grads enrolled in graduate school. Similar to employment, the size and scope of the university lead to many graduate pathways. Many grads continue at ASU itself, but some continue at various prestigious institutions.

Academic Highlights: There are 200+ undergraduate majors and 18 schools and colleges housed within OSU. Business sees the greatest percentage of degrees conferred at 18% followed by engineering (15%), health professions (10%), and the social sciences (9%). It makes sense that so many flock to the business and engineering schools as they are among the highest-rated undergraduate programs in their respective disciplines. 40% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and approximately 20% of students gain research experience.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 56% of Class of 2022 graduates were entering the world of employment while 17% were already accepted into graduate or professional school.  Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation’s leading companies. More than 2,000 alumni work for JPMorgan Chase, more than 1,000 are employed by Amazon, and more than 600 work for Google and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU’s own programs.

Academic Highlights: Chapman offers 50 majors in STEM, humanities, communication, the arts, and business. Overall, 46% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1. One-third of all degrees earned are in the area of business; the next most pursued are the visual and performing arts (21%), journalism (9%), and psychology (6%). In addition to the famed film program, the school gets acclaim for its innovation and the quality of undergraduate teaching.

Professional Outcomes: The Walt Disney Company, Amazon, Deloitte, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Google, and NBCUniversal are the most common employers of Chapman graduates. Students in the Argyros College of Business and Economics earned an average starting salary of $77,164 in 2023. 62% of that cohort had already secured employment by graduation day. Most graduates remain in the state of California, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Irvine attracting particularly high numbers of alumni.

Academic Highlights: NC State offers more than 100 majors and 120 minors. 64% of sections enroll 29 or fewer students. Engineering is the most popular area of concentration as 24% of Class of 2022 graduates earned a degree in that field. Business/marketing comes in second at 17% followed by biology (10%) and agriculture (7%). NC State has an exceptional regional reputation and an expanding national one with the College of Engineering near the top of many rankings. Programs in design, architecture, and animal science are also very strong.

Professional Outcomes: 54% of students graduating in 2022 had already accepted full-time jobs before exiting; 27% were heading to graduate/professional school. Members of that class reported an average starting salary of $62,024 (with a slightly higher median). Including all graduating years, the companies employing the largest number of alumni are Cisco, Red Hat, SAS, IBM, Lenovo, Amazon, Microsoft, Intel, Google, Deloitte, Facebook, and Salesforce. Many recent grads also work for the university itself and for the Wake County Public School System.

Academic Highlights: Cal Poly Pomona is a massive institution with 1,076 faculty members at over 25,000 undergraduate students. The average size for an undergraduate class section is 32 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 25:1. While a polytechnic institute, the most commonly conferred degree in 2022 was actually business (29%). Next up are engineering (18%), the social sciences (9%), science technologies (6%), and agriculture (4%).

Professional Outcomes: An excellent 91% of the Class of 2023 had already achieved positive outcomes within six months of leaving campus. The employers locking down the largest number of recent Cal Poly Pomona grads were Accenture, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Bloomberg, DraftKings, Meta, Morgan Stanley, NIH, Nike, PwC, and Tesla Motors. The graduate destinations of Class of 2023 members included Harvard, Brown, Duke, Stanford, Oxford, Yale, USC, UPenn, and Georgia Tech.

Academic Highlights: TCU offers 116 undergraduate majors. The most popular are housed in the Neely School of Business, including the highly-rated BBA in Entrepreneurship. 27% of all degrees conferred in 2022 fell under the business umbrella. The engineering program is also well-regarded. Other commonly conferred degrees include communications/journalism (15%), health professions (11%), and the social sciences (9%). 39% of its class sections have 20 or fewer students, and only 5% of courses seat more than 50.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 48% of recent diploma-earners were employed and 18% had their graduate school placement lined up. American Airlines, Deloitte, IBM, Lockheed Martin, and Medical City Hospitals employ the greatest number of recent alumni. Other companies with a large TCU presence include Microsoft, CBRE, Goldman Sachs, and AT&T. The most recent median starting salary was $58,900. For those who enrolled in an advanced degree program, the most commonly pursued areas of study were medicine/health (27%), business (21%), and psychology (13%).

Academic Highlights: There are 200 total degree programs at the University of Denver, with small class sizes being the norm as 55% of sections contain no more than 19 students, and 80% enroll a maximum of 29 individuals. The Daniels College of Business is highly respected by employers and attracts the greatest number of undergraduates. 32% of the degrees conferred in 2022 were in business/marketing, 16% were in the social sciences, 9% in biology, 9% in psychology, 8% in communication/journalism, and 7% in the visual and performing arts.

Professional Outcomes: 90% of 2022 Pioneer grads successfully entered the world of employment or graduate school within six months of earning their bachelor’s degree. 59% were employed full-time with a mean starting salary of $62k. Top employers included KPMG, Brown Brothers Harriman, Lockheed Martin, Epic, and Oracle. Other corporations employing 70 or more DU alums include CenturyLink, Charles Schwab, Comcast, Deloitte, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. 27% of 2022 graduates elected to continue their education in a graduate program.

Academic Highlights: This highly regarded state institution boasts over 200 programs—undergraduate, graduate, and professional—across 17 degree-granting colleges. A 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio rates in the average range for public universities of MSU’s size and scope. Class sizes are a genuine mix of small seminars and giant lecture halls. 16% of the degrees conferred in 2022 were in the business/marketing category. The next most common degrees were earned in communication/journalism (12%), engineering (11%), and the social sciences (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Within months of strutting across the graduation stage, 56% of Class of 2022 members had landed full-time employment, 27% were pursuing advanced degrees, and 6% were still looking for a job. The top employers of this group included big names like General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Deloitte, Epic Systems, Target, PepsiCo, and Microsoft. The median starting salary earned was $60,000. Among the grads schools favored by recent alumni are the University of Michigan, New York University, Columbia University, and Boston University.

Academic Highlights: At SUNY Purchase, which is considered a liberal arts college, you are free to pursue one of 47 majors and 32 minors. In typical liberal arts fashion, most courses are in small settings, with 74% of all sections enrolled fewer than 20 students. No one major is wildly popular at Purchase College; rather there is a fairly even spread of students across psychology (7%), dance (6%), playwriting/screenwriting (6%), drama (4%), fine arts (4%), communications (4%), and painting (4%).

Professional Outcomes: The rate of positive graduate outcomes is a spectacular 92% when measured 8-12 months outside of graduation. 86% have landed employment and 13% are enrolled in graduate school (with some overlap). 22% of 2022 grads work in the field of the arts/entertainment while 24% work in business and 17% work in each of education/human services and public services and law.

Academic Highlights: There are more than 300 undergraduate majors and graduate programs at the nation’s largest Catholic research university. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1 and 42% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students. A hefty 32% of all degrees awarded in 2022 were in the discipline of business/marketing. The next most popular areas of study were the visual and performing arts (13%), journalism (11%), and computer science (10%). The University rates well in the areas of overall value and facilitating social mobility.

Professional Outcomes: 92% of 2022 graduates found their next positive step in life within six months of being awarded their diploma. 81% were employed earning a modest median salary of $45,000. Sample employers included Epic. Xerox Business Solutions, UBS, KPMG, and a number of nonprofit entities. Less than 10% of DePaul graduates directly enter graduate or professional school right after completing their undergraduate education.

Academic Highlights: UGA boasts seventeen distinct colleges and schools that offer 125+ majors. Business is the most commonly conferred undergrad degree, accounting for 29% of diplomas earned. It is followed by biology (10%), social sciences (8%), communication & journalism (8%), and psychology (7%). Top-ranked programs include animal science, business, communications, and public and international affairs. 49% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and no matter your major, UGA encourages you to conduct research with a member of the school’s faculty.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of the Class of 2022 was employed or continuing their education six months after graduation. Popular employers include Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Walt Disney Company, and Deloitte. Salaries vary between colleges; engineering grads had a median starting salary of $65k while journalism and communication grads reported a $50k median. In 2022, 24% of graduates enrolled directly into a graduate/professional degree program, with the most commonly attended schools including Columbia, Duke, Emory, Georgia Tech, Penn, and UVA.

Academic Highlights: The University of Kansas is comprised of 14 academic schools that offer over 190 undergraduate majors. Its programs in nursing, psychology, business, and engineering are particularly strong. Popularity-wise, the most degrees are conferred in psychology (7%), journalism (5%), finance (5%), nursing (5%), marketing (4%), and accounting (4%). 49% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. As a top research institution, there are an incredible number of research opportunities for undergraduates across all majors.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 54% of alumni were employed full-time while 35% were continuing their education. For those employed, the average salary was $55k; top employers included University of Kansas, University of Kansas Medical Center, Shawnee Mission School District, Kansas City Public Schools, Burns & McDonnell, and Kiewit. For those pursuing graduate or professional degrees, the most popular area of study was accounting followed by pharmacy and law; the top institution attended was the University of Kansas itself.

Academic Highlights: More than 100 undergraduate majors are offered across five colleges: the College of Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, the College of Engineering, the College of Sciences, the School of Business, and the College of Health Sciences. Programs in engineering, computer science, business, and health sciences are particularly strong. Popularity-wise, the most degrees are conferred in business (22%), criminal justice (8%), psychology (7%), computer science (6%), and mechanical engineering (5%). 48% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: 98% of the Class of 2022 experienced positive outcomes, with 61% employed and 38% continuing their education. Additionally, over the past five years, alumni have gone on to the engineering, operations, education, research, information technology, healthcare services, and sales sectors in the largest numbers. Top employers include UMass Lowell itself followed by Raytheon, Lowell General Hospital, Fidelity, BAE, Analog Devices, Pfizer, the US Air Force, Massachusetts General Hospital, and TJX Companies.

Academic Highlights: Miami University sports a reasonable 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, lower than Ohio State. As at most publics, classes certainly aren’t tiny, but Miami U. keeps the majority of courses—65% to be precise—at an enrollment of 29 or fewer. Almost one-quarter of graduates earn a degree in business/marketing, making it the most popular area of academic concentration. Other commonly pursued majors include the social sciences (9%), health professions (9%), journalism (8%), biology (6%), parks and recreation (6%), and education (6%).

Professional Outcomes: The overall success rate for the Class of 2022 was 99%, roughly the same as for the previous two cohorts. Fifty-five percent of recent Miami grads were employed and by mid-career, alumni enjoy a median salary of $118k. Over one-quarter of recent grads elected to continue their education in graduate or professional school. Miami boasts a strong premed program that resulted in 63% of medical school applicants gaining acceptance over the last four years.

Academic Highlights: Offering 160+ undergraduate and graduate degrees combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. Sporting an excellent 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, this private university keeps 59% of its class sections at under 20 students. 30% of all degrees conferred are for registered nursing, followed by family practice nursing (12%), health services (12%), allied health diagnostic (6%), architectural technology (4%), and fashion merchandising (4%).

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after earning their undergraduate degrees, 60% of recent alumni had already found their first job and 37% were pursuing an advanced degree. The top employers included JP Morgan Chase & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Fox Chase Cancer Center, BLT Architects, and Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Graduate school enrollments included Hofstra, Temple School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, UPenn, and Penn State.

Academic Highlights: Students can select from 150 bachelor’s degrees and 80 graduate programs at App State. A reasonable 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to 39% of all course sections having fewer than 20 students and just 8% enrolling 50 or more. 20% of all 2022 grads earned their degree in business/marketing followed by health professions (10%), education (9%), parks & recreation (9%), journalism (8%), and psychology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Within one year of graduating, 86% of those surveyed have arrived at their next destination. Undergrads benefit from nine annual career fairs and the 16,000 employers that are approved to recruit on campus. Further, 99% of students find the Career Development Center to be helpful. Alumni go on to work in large numbers for Wells Fargo, Atrium Health, Novant Health, Bank of America, Red Hat, Cisco, and Duke Energy Corporation.

Academic Highlights:  A large public institution with 200 academic offerings, VCU still manages to keep 48% of its class sections capped at an enrollment of 19 thanks to a manageable 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Popular majors include the visual and performing arts (12%), business (11%), psychology (10%), biology (9%), education (7%), and homeland security (7%). The university is highly rated for innovation, value, and its stellar nursing program.

Professional Outcomes: After earning their diplomas, 48% quickly landed their first job and 22% entered an advanced degree program. The top industries were healthcare, internet & software, higher education, government, and retail. Overall, 87% of grads were satisfied with their employment outcome and 78% remained in the state of Virginia. Massive numbers of alumni can be found in the offices of Dominion Energy, VCU Health, Capital One, CarMax, Deloitte, and Apex Systems.

Academic Highlights: FIT is a public institution that attracts students from 46 nations and offers programs in Art & Design, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Business and Technology. The most popular majors at the Fashion Institute of Technology are fashion merchandising (24%), fashion & apparel design (18%), communication management (16%), international marketing (16%), and design and visual communications (5%).

Professional Outcomes: 78% of those who earned a bachelor’s in 2022 were employed six months after graduation and 18% were looking for work. Most fresh alumni (85%) were employed by a company and 13% were freelancers. Employers of more than 100 FIT alumni include L’Oreal, Ralph Lauren, Macy’s, Nike, Amazon, Coach, Victoria’s Secret & Co., the Estee Lauder Companies, CHANEL, Louis Vuitton, and the Style Shop.

Academic Highlights: Nearly 100 undergraduate majors are offered across 11 different colleges. Programs within the College of Business and College of Engineering are particularly strong, especially petroleum engineering, entrepreneurship, and marketing. The most degrees are conferred in business/management/marketing (28%), psychology (7%), computer science (7%), engineering (7%), biological sciences (7%), and social sciences (6%). 34% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students, and

Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 29% of recent grads had already accepted a full-time position and 11% had been accepted to graduate school. For those who entered the workforce, top employers were Houston ISD (as well as several other school systems), JPMorgan Chase, Houston Methodist, and Walgreens. Of those continuing their education, the highest percentage stayed at the University of Houston followed by the University of Texas, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M, Texas Woman’s University, and Rice.

Academic Highlights: USF has an astounding 200 undergraduate majors and concentration areas available and despite a fairly high 22:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is able to enroll fewer than 20 students in 42% of their course sections. The most popular major is health professions (19%) followed by business (17%), biology (13%), the social sciences (11%), and psychology (8%). An increasingly competitive university, USF’s nursing and psychology programs are top notch and the business, engineering, and computer science majors are great values.

Professional Outcomes: Employers that gobble up significant numbers of University of South Florida alumni include Citi, Moffitt Cancer Center, BayCare Health System, Tampa General Hospital, Raymond James, Centene Corporation, Deloitte, Microsoft, AWS, and Kforce. Therefore it’s little surprise that a study by the Florida Board of Governors revealed that USF is a highly-rated contributor to the local economy, represents excellent value, and facilitates social mobility.

Academic Highlights: Undergrads can choose from nearly 100 different majors across five colleges: the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Education, the School of Fine & Performing Arts, and the School of Science & Engineering. The most popular undergraduate programs include psychology, early childhood and childhood education, sociology, digital media production, visual arts, communication studies, English, biology, mechanical engineering, and communication disorders. 41% of classes have fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 60% of recent alumni were employed and 28% were heading to graduate school. Top sectors for recent alumni include education, operations, community & social services, administrative, engineering, healthcare services, arts & design, and media & communication. Popular employers included SUNY New Paltz itself, the NYC Department of Education, IBM, Target, Amazon, Hudson Valley Credit Union, and Northwell Health.

Academic Highlights: With 360 undergraduate programs, 14 degree-granting colleges and schools, 500 study abroad programs, and 1,700 instructional faculty, nothing is small at the University of Tennessee. With an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio, this university offers 28% of courses in a more intimate setting of fewer than 20 students; the bulk of courses enroll 20-49 students (57%). Business (24%) is easily the most popular major with engineering (11%), biology (7%), the social sciences (7%), and parks and recreation (7%) next in line.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after receiving their diplomas, 64% of UT-Knoxville alumni have found jobs and 27% have started their graduate school careers. The top employers of the Class of 2023 were the UT Medical Center, PepsiCo, and Axle Logistics. Among those headed to graduate/professional school, the five most commonly attended institutions were the University of Tennessee, UT Health Science Center, Lincoln Memorial University, East Tennessee University, and Belmont University.

Academic Highlights: There are more than 150 majors at the University of Nebraska and students enjoy a mix of smaller classes (34% have fewer than 20 students) and larger ones (18% have more than 50). Overall, 23% of the undergraduate degrees conferred are in business and 11% are in engineering. The next most common disciplines are agriculture (9%), journalism (8%), and family & consumer sciences (7%). Business, computer science, engineering, and psychology all receive their share of acclaim.

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after graduating, alumni have entered the workforce at a 63% clip and 35% have matriculated into graduate/professional school. Employers hiring more than a few recent graduates included Microsoft, Deloitte, Amazon, Epic, Union Bank & Trust Company, and Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation. Multiple grads enrolled at the following graduate/professional schools: the University of Nebraska College of Law, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, University of Michigan, and Boston University.

Academic Highlights: SDSU has nearly 160 undergraduate majors, minors, and pre-professional programs. Classes tend to be on the large side—28% of course sections enroll more than 40 students, and only 31% of sections contain fewer than 20 students. Business/marketing accounts for 21% of the degrees conferred, making it the school’s most popular area of study. Next in line are engineering (9%), psychology (8%), and the social sciences (7%). Engineering and computer science majors tend to fare quite well in the booming local tech and startup scene.

Professional Outcomes: At the time of receiving their degrees, roughly 75% of newly minted SDSU graduates already have their next phase of life planned. 34% of recent grads had secured full-time employment, 21% were engaged in military service/volunteer work/part-time employment, and 17% were entering graduate or professional school. Qualcomm is the largest employer of Aztec alumni, and it is followed by Apple, Amazon, Google, and a number of other Silicon Valley-based tech companies.

Academic Highlights: UNLV allows undergraduates to choose from 76 majors and 70 minors, all with an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio. In total, 43% of course sections take place in a smaller setting capped at 19 students. The academic area attracting the most attention is business (23%), although psychology (9%), health professions and related programs (8%), the social sciences (7%), homeland security & law enforcement (7%), and the visual and performing arts (6%) are also quite popular.

Professional Outcomes: Remaining in the Las Vegas Area after graduating is the most common move for UNLV alum, but sizable numbers also flock to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Dallas. The companies employing the greatest number of alumni are the Clark County School District, MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, Amazon, Wynn Las Vegas, the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, and Resorts World Las Vegas.