From the fine “Fig Newton” to the beloved Basketball Hall of Fame, the number of unique contributions Massachusetts has made to the U.S. is virtually endless . The Bay State is also so old that the first U.S. Postal zip originated here. Besides a rich history and the things Americans love, Massachusetts is also home to some of the most prestigious Universities in the world. The most famous—Harvard University,
was the first college established in North America.
The state of Massachusetts is rich with art and culture as well a variety of art schools, making it a great place for aspiring artists to live and work. The famous Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) is one of the country’s largest centers for contemporary visual and performing arts and aspiring artists flock to Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts (est. 1876) based on its stellar
reputation in the art community. The state’s art schools (and traditional colleges) offer a variety of programs for artists of all kinds, from fine artists such as painters, sculptors, and illustrators to digital artists such as animators, graphic designers, game designers.
Massachusetts Graphic Design Schools
From Beverly to Boston to Springfield, Massachusetts is home to a variety of colleges and universities that offer a number of competitive programs for aspiring artists and graphic designers. Some of these programs help prepare students for an entry-level position in the field, while others may lead to a higher level position with a advertising agency, web design studio, or multimedia firm. Scroll through the list
below to review Massachusetts’ popular options for aspiring graphic designers and what they have to offer.
Beverly
Montserrat College of Art - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation and Interactive Media,
Boston
Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Design, Illustration, Animation; M. F. A. Visual Arts; Advanced Professional Certificates in Animation, Design and Illustration
Northeastern University - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Graphic Design, Digital Art; Combined Majors in Game Design, Interactive Media (type of degree awarded depends on the combination chosen); M. F. A. Studio Art
School of the Museum of Fine Arts - Degrees Offered: Certificate in Graphic Design; B. F. A. Film and Animation, Text and Image Arts; M. F. A. Studio Art (with Tufts University), one-year post-baccalaureate program
Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Visual Design with Concentration in Graphic Design, Digital Media, Illustration; M. F. A. Visual Design with Emphasis in Digital Media, Graphic Design or Illustration
Fitchburg
Fitchburg State University - Degrees Offered: B. S. Communications Media with Concentration in Graphic Design, Interactive Media
Lowell
University of Massachusetts Lowell - Degrees Offered: B. F. A. Art with Concentration in Graphic Design, Animation, Interactive Media and Web Design
Salem
Salem State University - Degrees Offered: B. A. Art with Concentration in Graphic Design, Interactive Multimedia; Graphic Design Certificate
Springfield
Springfield College - Degrees Offered: B. S. Computer Graphics/Digital Art
More Graphic Design related programs to consider:
- 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
Employment and Salary Trends for Massachusetts Graphic Designers
Massachusetts has a healthy population of salaried graphic designers working mainly in principal cities such as Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and Cambridge. The population of graphic designers has experienced steady growth, despite a stagnant economy. In 2006, the population was 4,980. By 2010, the talent pool had increased to 5,530. Salaries are on the rise as well. In 2006, the average salary for a Massachusetts graphic designer was $47,620. In 2010, it was $52,170.
Nationwide, the mean annual wage for graphic designers was $48,140 in 2010. The lowest paid graphic designers earned less than $26,110 (median), and the highest 10 percent earned more than $74,660 (median). The middle 50 percent earned between $32,600 and $56,620 (median). Salaries for graphic designers working at higher levels or independently vary, but they are significantly higher than average salaries.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “senior designers, who may supervise junior staff or have some decision-making authority that reflects their knowledge of graphic design,” earn a median salary of $60,000. “Solo designers who freelanced or worked under contract reported median earnings of $57,000. Design directors, the creative heads of design firms or in-house corporate design departments,” earn $95,000. “Graphic designers with ownership or partnership interests in a firm or
who are principals of the firm in some other capacity” average $95,000 per year.