1) Columbus College of Art and Design
Located in Columbus, Ohio, "CCAD is in the top 10% illustration program nationally. CCAD is in the top 15% of design programs nationally." Additionally, "CCAD is in the top 15 fashion schools. CCAD is in the top 10 of design schools in the US." As for student life, "CCAD is one of the best values when choosing a college," and, "Columbus is the No 7 city in the world in quality of life."
2) School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Located next to Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, "specialty rankings also released by U.S. News demonstrate SAIC’s excellence in a wide variety of artistic disciplines. Of the seven individual areas of study ranked in the Fine Arts category, five of SAIC’s graduate concentrations were ranked in the top six. Two of these concentrations—Painting and Drawing and Photography—were ranked in the nation’s top three."
3) Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Located in the Whittier Neighborhood of Minneapolis, "The Princeton Review has included MCAD on its annual Best Midwestern Colleges List for more than ten years—a rarity for a visual arts college." Additionally, "the highly respected design publication I.D. has recognized MCAD as one of the top ten design schools in the world." Continuing, "Art and Object has named MCAD as one of the top five art schools in the Midwest."
4) Kansas City Art Institute
"KCAI’s transformative Illustration program has been named as one of the best in the country by Animation Career Review. The online resource for people seeking careers in animation ranked KCAI in the top 15% of Illustration B.F.A. programs in the United States." Specifically notable is the, "full-time faculty, all working artists with experience at Hallmark, ad agencies and the Kansas City Star."
5) Northwestern University
An academic powerhouse in the Midwest, Northwestern's art programs are also know for their intellectual vigor that covers, "both traditional approaches and newer media and alternative strategies. Painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and photography form the core of the undergraduate curriculum, giving students the opportunity to develop a solid foundation in the field’s traditions and established media. The department also looks forward to experimental approaches and future developments in visual art making."
6) University of Wisconsin Madison
Located in Wisconsin's capital, the University of Wisconsin Madison's art program fosters an environment of, "positive collaboration and innovative art production, while encouraging diverse points-of-view." Art degree students can focus on "specialized areas such as ceramics, comics, drawing, glass and neon, graphic design, papermaking, performance/video, photography, sculpture, social practices, etc."
7) DePaul University
Located across different campuses around Chicago, DePaul University is, "home to our cinema and animation programs, the place to learn your craft, to develop your creative voice, and to start your filmmaking career. Ranked a Top Film School by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety." DePaul is also consistently ranked as one of the top theatre schools in the country, "this is one of America’s most established and respected theatre conservatories. Here, you’ll receive training that works, in a place widely known for producing working artists."
8) Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
"The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design was ranked among the top art and design colleges in the country in MONEY magazine’s Best Colleges for Your Money in 2018 list. MIAD ranked eighth out of the qualifying 18 Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD) schools." Continuing, "The ranking names MIAD among the top 15% of all degree-granting colleges and universities in the nation, with an overall rank by MONEY of 622."
