Want to study Visual Communication courses in the USA? Visual communication is one of the most important ways that people communicate and share information. A degree in visual communications can lead you to a career as a photojournalist, fashion photographer, videographer, graphic artist, illustrator, and designer.

Students who want to get a degree specifically in visual communication or related degrees in graphic design, graphic communication, or design. For the best career opportunities, here we have compiled a list which has the Best Visual Communication Colleges that can help you to become a professional graphic designer.

The study of symbols and visual communications is called semiotics. Keep scrolling to explore the top-ranked universities and colleges in the US for visual communications programs. Get details about school rankings, program options, tuition, and other points of distinction. Good Luck!!

School of Visual Arts—New York City

The School of Visual Arts- NYC has been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative professionals for nearly seven decades. The Design program focuses on teaching visual communication problem solving, a skill that can open the door to a host of rewarding careers. Comprised of more than 6,000 students at its Manhattan campus and nearly 37,000 alumni in 75 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. The College offers 32 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The School of Visual Arts is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Ranking: 1st
Graduation Rate: NA
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $39,562
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 212-592-2000
Website: http://www.sva.edu/undergraduate/design

The New School – Parsons

As a BFA Communication Design student, you begin your major with an intense focus on typography and interaction, then go on to complete courses, internships, and sponsored projects in editorial design, interaction design, branding, Web/mobile product design, type design, motion graphics, advertising design, and information design. Students in the Communications Design program take courses in art and design history and related theory to develop research, writing, and critical thinking skills. A leading design school offering undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree programs, Parsons lets you engage with a range of disciplines — studio design, urban planning, fashion, media, design management, design studies, and more.

Ranking: 2nd
Graduation Rate: 64%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $40,426
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 46,960 USD
Website: http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/bfa-communication-design

Maryland Institute College of Art

Visual communication is a broad spectrum that includes signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, advertising, animation, color, and electronic resources. In MICA’s Graphic Design major, you will gain the creative, technical, and intellectual skills to become the design visionary of the future while shaping the form and content of media — from magazines and books to websites and social media applications. The graphic design curriculum at MICA is built around a three-year sequence of core design courses. They see graphic design as a comprehensive activity of visual problem solving for professional leaders working in branding, UI/UX, packaging, spatial design, publication design, and typeface design, among others.

Ranking: 3rd
Graduation Rate: 71%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $39,400
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 410-669-9200
Website: https://www.mica.edu/undergraduate-majors-minors/graphic-design-major/

Carnegie Mellon University School of Design

Graphic Design USA, a business-to-business information source for graphic design professionals for more than 50 years, has named Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design students Juan Aranda and Tiffany Lai as two of their Students to Watch for 2018. Students in this program can customize their degree by specializing in one area or combining two areas of specialization to create a unique interdisciplinary degree that reflects their interests and career goals. CMU also offers a unique program called Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology (IDeATe), which allows the student to concentrate their studies on cross-campus industry themes like game design, animation, and special effects, innovation and entrepreneurship, intelligent environments, and learning media design.

Ranking: 4th
Graduation Rate: 87%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $47,642
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (412) 268-2828
Website: https://design.cmu.edu/taxonomy/term/26

University of Cincinnati (College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning)

At the University of Cincinnati, communication design students receive a foundation in visual problem-solving. Communication designers give visual form to information, ideas, and feelings. They inform, persuade, educate and entertain using typography, photography, drawing, video/animation, audio, storytelling, interaction, and space. Communication designers increasingly collaborate with other fields to help meet human needs. These courses help students develop critical and visual thinking along with essential design processes.

Ranking: 5th
Graduation Rate: 55%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: Out of State: $25,816; In-State: $10,784
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 513-556-6000
Website: http://daap.uc.edu/academics/design/bs_graphic_communication.html

California College of the Arts

California College of the Arts educates students to shape culture and society through the practice and critical study of art, architecture, design, and writing. Students enrolled in this program take Core Studio courses in basic drawing, 2D, 3D, & 4D, as well as classes in graphic design tools, typography, and media history. They also complete a senior thesis and an internship as requirements for graduation. Its Graphic Design Program trains you to translate complex ideas into inspired designs.

Ranking: 6th
Graduation Rate: 45%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $40,334
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 415.703.9500
Website: https://www.cca.edu/academics/graphic-design

Pratt Institute-Main

The School of Design on Pratt’s historic campus in Brooklyn, the department of undergraduate communications design is a recognized leader in the field. Students learn to engage audiences, explore technologies, develop visual languages, challenge preconceptions, redefine problems, and identify opportunities through the lens of communication design. Its courses and projects promote the rich exchange embodied in a studio culture that values the development of individual perspectives, critique, visual literacy, media fluency, experiential learning, and innovative formal outcomes. Upper-level studio courses prompt students to engage in increasingly complex projects that introduce time-based media, visual systems, branding, and installations.

Ranking: 7th
Graduation Rate: 64%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $40,585
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 718-636-3600
Website: https://www.pratt.edu/academics/school-of-design/undergraduate-school-of-design/ug-communications-design/

School of Art Institute of Chicago

The Visual Communication Design department encourages students to actively engage their world and define their role as contributing designers by developing their critical and analytical skills, personal voice, and visual language. Students must pass a Visual Communication Design department portfolio review in order to enroll in intermediate courses in the department. The department cultivates a sense of social responsibility and inquiry in student designers who will be working at the intersection of art, design, and mass culture. Its diverse course offerings include both physical and virtual design areas. Each year the Department of Visual Communication Design hosts Exploratory Languages, a lecture series featuring leading designers and design educators from across the country.

Ranking: 8th
Graduation Rate: 54%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $43,126
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 800.232.7242
Website: http://www.saic.edu/academics/departments/visual-communication-design

Auburn University

Visual journalists tell stories with words, pictures, and design. Visual journalists craft compelling designs using color, typography, visual hierarchy, assignment and selection of images and visual organization. Through the journalism curriculum, students interested in the Visual Journalism area of emphasis will receive a solid grounding in journalism basics. The curriculum includes courses in editing and design, multimedia journalism, news writing, and reporting. Students choose from electives to focus on their particular interests; possible options include sports reporting, international PR, and introduction to filmmaking.

Ranking: 9th
Graduation Rate: 68%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $26,364; In-State: $9,852
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (334) 844-2727
Website: https://cla.auburn.edu/cmjn/journalism/curriculum-areas-of-emphasis/visual-journalism/

University of South Carolina

The Visual Communications degree is offered through the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and is a good fit for students who are prepared to take a number of core courses and then apply those skills through several media-related electives. The visual communications curriculum is a great foundation for graduate study.  Its graduates work for news organizations, advertising agencies, public relations firms, fashion houses, magazines, social media groups and themselves. You’ll learn how to focus your passion into telling stories, and then improve your skills to do so. You can tailor your major to your specific interests, taking classes to make you a smarter, better-prepared visual journalist.

Ranking: 10th
Graduation Rate: 72%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $28,528; In State: $10,816
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 803-777-0169
Website:https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/cic/academic_programs/bachelors/visual_communications.php