Georgia is home to 132 Title IV degree-granting colleges and universities. To become a Title IV school, an institution must meet five requirements. They must have accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, they must be in business for at least two years, they must sign a participation agreement with the Department, they must grant an associate's degree or higher, and they must offer a program of at least 300 clock hours in length. Title IV status means that these schools are eligible for federal financial aid programs, which makes them more accessible to students with financial need.
Fortunately, many of Georgia’s Title IV schools offer top-tier graphic design programs at an affordable price. It’s important to keep in mind that affordability does not mean easy. The state’s graphic design schools are competitive and well-respected in the academic and creative worlds. A few good examples are Kennesaw State University and the University of West Georgia. At less than $5,000 per year, both schools are high on the list of top schools for graphic designers.
If you’re ready to shop and compare Georgia graphic design schools, take a look at the most expensive to least expensive graphic design schools below and what you can expect to pay.
Most Expensive Georgia Graphic Design Schools
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Atlanta – Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $33,795; Graduate $34,605 (Atlanta and Savannah campuses and online programs) for the 2014-2015 school year.
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Savannah – Tuition Cost: Undergraduate $33,795; Graduate $34,605 (Atlanta and Savannah campuses and online programs) for the 2014-2015 school year.
Least Expensive Georgia Graphic Design Schools
University of Georgia, Athens – Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $8,590, nonresidents $26,800; graduate residents $8,088, nonresidents $23,388 for the 2014-2015 school year.
Georgia State University, Atlanta – Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $6,489, nonresidents $21,057; Graduate residents $8,686, nonresidents $29,340 for the 2014-2015 school year.
University of West Georgia, Carrollton – Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $5,098, nonresidents $17,994; Graduate residents $3,672, nonresidents $14,220 for the 2014-2015 school year.
Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw - Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $4,078, nonresidents $14,395; Graduate residents $6,578, nonresidents $23,754 for the 2014-2015 school year.
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro - Tuition Cost: Undergraduate residents $4,078, nonresidents $14,395; Graduate residents $6,636, nonresidents $26,518 for the 2014-2015 school year.
More Georgia Schools with Graphic Design related programs:
- San Francisco & Online
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#37) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Illustration (#24) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#38) - 2021
- Winter Park, FL & Online
- Computer Animation - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Game Programs - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Bachelor's - Online & Campus
- Film & Digital Cinematography - Bachelor's & Master's - Online & Campus
- Mobile Development - Bachelor's - Online
- Simulation & Visualization - Bachelor's - Campus
- Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#11) - 2021
- Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#10) - 2021
- Top 25 in the South for Graphic Design (#10) - 2021
- Online
Georgia Graphic Design Scene
Georgia is home to around 5,500 salaried graphic designers and possibly thousands of self-employed designers. Atlanta, Georgia’s largest city, is home to a large number of the state’s graphic designers. However, aspiring graphic designers can also find employment in other major cities such as Savannah, Columbus, Augusta, and Athens.
The population of Georgia graphic designers has grown considerably since 2006, when the state was home to 4,360 designers. Even more impressive is, the average salary for Georgia graphic designers has increased significantly since 2006. In 2006, the average salary was $45,000. By 2010, the average salary had increased to $48,760. Today, the average salary for Georgia-based graphic designers is $54,960.
Members of Georgia’s graphic design community can find work in a wide range of areas from advertising to web design. However, the top employers of graphic designers are the motion picture and video industries, computer systems design and related services, software publishers; advertising, public relations and related services, and specialized design services.
Awesome Animation Fact: According to Encyclopedia.com, cutout animation has been made notable by Terry Gilliam in Monty Python's Flying Circus and by Matt Stone and Trey Parker in South Park. To create cutout animation, an artist cuts actors and scenes out of paper, overlays them, and moves them, and captures their images frame by frame, again using stop-motion animation. In Gilliam's work, the animation was done frame by frame, but Stone and Parker quickly abandoned the physical work of generating the figures and turned instead to advanced computer workstations that create the same effect.