There are more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States.
So how do you choose just a handful of this vast number to apply to?
If you know you want to learn graphic design, 3D computer animation or any other art-related field of study, your answer is easy — you should apply to the best arts colleges you can find.
To know whether or not you should apply to a school, here are five essential things you should look for when choosing the best art and design colleges for you:
1. A good reputation: Before applying to any colleges, you should do research on the web to gauge the school’s reputation and read student reviews. Some schools definitely have a better reputation than others for quality!
2. World-class faculty: Your education literally doesn’t happen without good professors — and you should apply to fine art colleges that have the best faculty on staff. Every potential art college should list their faculty and staff on their website, with descriptions of their qualifications and background available as well.
3. Top-notch technology: The professional art world is increasingly reliant on technology to produce art and design works. If you plan on studying animation or graphic design, this is especially true. You should consider fine art colleges with up-to-date, industry-standard technology — because this is the equipment on which you’ll be learning.
4. Internship and career placement services: You’re going to college to get a job — so ideally, you should choose fine art colleges with career services centers that excel at getting students placed in internships and alumni placed in jobs relevant to their degree field.
5. The programs you want to study: It sounds obvious, but the right fine art colleges for you will offer majors in areas you genuinely want to pursue. Don’t apply to a college that doesn’t have a program in computer animation if you think you want to study that, for example. Your college experience is all about you — don’t compromise your dreams and interests for a more “prestigious” degree. See this link for more references.
