Best Schools for Graphic Communications

Graphic Communications graduates earn a median of $45,488 within four years of graduating, ranking #210 out of 283 tracked majors — 27% below the median across all fields. There are 57 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 2,906 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo graduates earn $79,432 while Regent University graduates earn $29,565 — a $49,867 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.

Early career salary growth is moderate: Graphic Communications graduates see an average 9% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

57
Schools
$45,488
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#210
of 283 Majors
2,906
Graduates

Public vs Private: Graphic Communications

Public (27 schools)
$48,546
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (27 schools)
$45,989
avg. 2yr earnings

Public schools produce comparable or higher early earnings for Graphic Communications, often at lower tuition — making them strong value options for this major.

Graphic Communications by State

Also by state: Arizona, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia

Top Graphic Communications Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo logo

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$79,432
4yr Earnings
75 grads
2yr: $52,385 (54)
1yr: $49,435 (74)
Acceptance: 29.8%
#2
Loyola Marymount University logo

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$76,522
4yr Earnings
16 grads · small sample
2yr: $30,409 (24)
Acceptance: 40.3%
#3
Ringling College of Art and Design logo

Ringling College of Art and Design

Sarasota, FL · Private

$75,213
4yr Earnings
78 grads
2yr: $48,725 (89)
1yr: $44,528 (69)
Acceptance: 67.4%
#4
Brigham Young University logo

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT · Private

$73,941
4yr Earnings
24 grads · small sample
2yr: $54,713 (23)
1yr: $40,362 (24)
Acceptance: 69.2%
#5
Baker College logo

Baker College

Owosso, MI · Private

$67,583
4yr Earnings
19 grads · small sample
2yr: $41,565 (21)
1yr: $39,944 (31)
Acceptance: 87.5%
#6
Roger Williams University logo

Roger Williams University

Bristol, RI · Private

$61,887
4yr Earnings
21 grads · small sample
2yr: $39,369 (30)
1yr: $37,588 (21)
Acceptance: 87.8%
#7
University of Minnesota-Duluth logo

University of Minnesota-Duluth

Duluth, MN · Public

$61,062
4yr Earnings
44 grads
2yr: $40,896 (15)
1yr: $37,048 (43)
Acceptance: 81.8%
#8
University of Wisconsin-Stout logo

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Menomonie, WI · Public

$59,621
4yr Earnings
35 grads
2yr: $42,123 (21)
1yr: $42,536 (46)
Acceptance: 84.7%
#9
University of California-Santa Cruz logo

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA · Public

$58,163
4yr Earnings
31 grads
Acceptance: 62.5%
#10
Arizona State University Campus Immersion logo

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ · Public

$57,618
4yr Earnings
118 grads
2yr: $36,368 (60)
1yr: $36,798 (128)
Acceptance: 90.2%
#11
Arizona State University Digital Immersion logo

Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Scottsdale, AZ · Public

$57,618
4yr Earnings
118 grads
2yr: $36,368 (60)
1yr: $36,798 (128)
Acceptance: 64.1%
#12
Illinois State University logo

Illinois State University

Normal, IL · Public

$55,723
4yr Earnings
24 grads · small sample
2yr: $39,369 (21)
1yr: $47,259 (22)
Acceptance: 89.0%
#13
Rochester Institute of Technology logo

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY · Private

$55,122
4yr Earnings
49 grads
2yr: $54,252 (71)
1yr: $51,726 (49)
Acceptance: 71.4%
#14
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus logo

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH · Public

$52,388
4yr Earnings
101 grads
2yr: $30,228 (53)
1yr: $33,166 (96)
Acceptance: 80.6%
#15
California Baptist University logo

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA · Private

$51,834
4yr Earnings
34 grads
2yr: $34,526 (47)
1yr: $33,784 (49)
Acceptance: 73.6%
#16
Western Illinois University logo

Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL · Public

$50,751
4yr Earnings
16 grads · small sample
2yr: $21,781 (26)
1yr: $32,608 (27)
Acceptance: 75.0%
#17
University of Silicon Valley logo

University of Silicon Valley

San Jose, CA · For-Profit

$49,968
4yr Earnings
65 grads
2yr: $30,984 (38)
1yr: $27,541 (61)
Acceptance: 51.3%
#18
University of Idaho logo

University of Idaho

Moscow, ID · Public

$49,188
4yr Earnings
26 grads · small sample
2yr: $29,685 (30)
Acceptance: 79.1%
#19
George Mason University logo

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA · Public

$47,440
4yr Earnings
55 grads
2yr: $33,993 (30)
1yr: $26,474 (44)
Acceptance: 88.8%
#20
Carroll University logo

Carroll University

Waukesha, WI · Private

$47,327
4yr Earnings
33 grads
2yr: $40,768 (36)
1yr: $36,463 (31)
Acceptance: 58.4%
#21
University of Charleston logo

University of Charleston

Charleston, WV · Private

$47,037
4yr Earnings
17 grads · small sample
Acceptance: 64.5%
#22
DigiPen Institute of Technology logo

DigiPen Institute of Technology

Redmond, WA · For-Profit

$45,571
4yr Earnings
64 grads
2yr: $25,774 (35)
1yr: $23,819 (65)
Acceptance: 68.0%
#23
DePaul University logo

DePaul University

Chicago, IL · Private

$45,028
4yr Earnings
46 grads
2yr: $21,508 (41)
1yr: $19,606 (56)
Acceptance: 73.5%
#24
SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill logo

SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill

Cobleskill, NY · Public

$44,661
4yr Earnings
23 grads · small sample
2yr: $20,140 (16)
1yr: $24,207 (22)
Acceptance: 83.3%
#25
Ferris State University logo

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI · Public

$44,116
4yr Earnings
92 grads
2yr: $35,823 (54)
1yr: $31,428 (51)
Acceptance: 80.6%
#26
University of Northern Iowa logo

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA · Public

$44,066
4yr Earnings
18 grads · small sample
2yr: $30,771 (17)
1yr: $33,933 (21)
Acceptance: 94.4%
#27
Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private

$43,970
4yr Earnings
59 grads
2yr: $33,993 (27)
1yr: $22,857 (38)
Acceptance: 91.2%
#28
Minneapolis College of Art and Design logo

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis, MN · Private

$43,745
4yr Earnings
32 grads
2yr: $18,771 (19)
1yr: $20,090 (34)
Acceptance: 48.4%
#29
Savannah College of Art and Design logo

Savannah College of Art and Design

Savannah, GA · Private

$43,058
4yr Earnings
385 grads
2yr: $22,778 (241)
1yr: $21,127 (330)
Acceptance: 83.7%
#30
Sam Houston State University logo

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, TX · Public

$42,579
4yr Earnings
36 grads
2yr: $19,227 (12)
1yr: $23,330 (29)
Acceptance: 85.4%
#31
Eastern Michigan University logo

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MI · Public

$42,490
4yr Earnings
47 grads
2yr: $25,194 (27)
1yr: $25,302 (47)
Acceptance: 81.3%
#32
University of Central Missouri logo

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO · Public

$41,870
4yr Earnings
17 grads · small sample
1yr: $40,481 (19)
Acceptance: 68.6%
#33
Fairmont State University logo

Fairmont State University

Fairmont, WV · Public

$41,784
4yr Earnings
18 grads · small sample
2yr: $20,140 (14)
1yr: $20,857 (19)
Acceptance: 99.2%
#34
East Tennessee State University logo

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN · Public

$41,074
4yr Earnings
54 grads
2yr: $21,135 (40)
1yr: $19,656 (56)
Acceptance: 87.1%
#35
Webster University logo

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO · Private

$40,168
4yr Earnings
24 grads · small sample
2yr: $22,806 (18)
Acceptance: 58.0%
#36
Pittsburg State University logo

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, KS · Public

$39,946
4yr Earnings
16 grads · small sample
2yr: $31,907 (28)
1yr: $33,029 (36)
Acceptance: 88.2%
#37
Laguna College of Art and Design logo

Laguna College of Art and Design

Laguna Beach, CA · Private

$38,850
4yr Earnings
30 grads · small sample
2yr: $21,234 (18)
1yr: $22,279 (22)
Acceptance: 77.6%
#38
Bradley University logo

Bradley University

Peoria, IL · Private

$37,657
4yr Earnings
42 grads
2yr: $33,382 (35)
Acceptance: 76.7%
#39
Lynn University logo

Lynn University

Boca Raton, FL · Private

$36,590
4yr Earnings
31 grads
Acceptance: 74.0%
#40
University of Hawaii at Manoa logo

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, HI · Public

$35,830
4yr Earnings
33 grads
2yr: $23,262 (55)
1yr: $22,915 (32)
Acceptance: 69.7%
#41
SUNY College of Technology at Alfred logo

SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY · Public

$35,521
4yr Earnings
20 grads · small sample
2yr: $23,456 (28)
1yr: $14,463 (22)
Acceptance: 81.8%
#42
Villa Maria College logo

Villa Maria College

Buffalo, NY · Private

$35,482
4yr Earnings
22 grads · small sample
2yr: $22,667 (12)
Acceptance: 86.7%
#43
Pratt Institute-Main logo

Pratt Institute-Main

Brooklyn, NY · Private

$35,100
4yr Earnings
58 grads
2yr: $24,035 (35)
1yr: $22,391 (38)
Acceptance: 53.2%
#44
Huntington University logo

Huntington University

Huntington, IN · Private

$34,787
4yr Earnings
29 grads · small sample
2yr: $20,140 (17)
1yr: $20,899 (28)
Acceptance: 71.2%
#45
College for Creative Studies logo

College for Creative Studies

Detroit, MI · Private

$34,003
4yr Earnings
79 grads
2yr: $23,207 (71)
1yr: $24,602 (81)
Acceptance: 92.8%
#46
New Mexico State University-Main Campus logo

New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Las Cruces, NM · Public

$33,612
4yr Earnings
36 grads
2yr: $23,262 (37)
1yr: $15,913 (22)
Acceptance: 75.7%
#47
Columbus College of Art & Design logo

Columbus College of Art & Design

Columbus, OH · Private

$33,389
4yr Earnings
55 grads
2yr: $20,140 (22)
1yr: $19,608 (44)
Acceptance: 71.7%
#48
California College of the Arts logo

California College of the Arts

San Francisco, CA · Private

$31,068
4yr Earnings
45 grads
2yr: $30,409 (22)
1yr: $16,698 (36)
Acceptance: 73.4%
#49
Kansas City Art Institute logo

Kansas City Art Institute

Kansas City, MO · Private

$30,798
4yr Earnings
24 grads · small sample
2yr: $20,140 (32)
1yr: $15,235 (25)
Acceptance: 60.4%
#50
School of Visual Arts logo

School of Visual Arts

New York, NY · For-Profit

$30,125
4yr Earnings
105 grads
2yr: $13,132 (48)
1yr: $14,518 (85)
Acceptance: 91.3%

Showing top 50 of 57 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Graphic Communications?
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks #1 for Graphic Communications with median graduate earnings of $79,432 within four years of graduating. There are 57 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Graphic Communications graduates earn?
Graphic Communications graduates earn an average of $45,488 within four years of graduating. This is 27% below the median across all majors. Earnings range from $29,565 to $79,432 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Graphic Communications program?
The average acceptance rate across Graphic Communications programs is 74.3%. The most selective program is at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo with a 29.8% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Graphic Communications?
Private Graphic Communications programs average $45,989 in early earnings vs $48,546 at public schools. Public schools offer competitive earnings at typically lower cost, making them strong value options.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.

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