Art scholars and professionals praise Pratt Institute for providing an education that balances creative challenges with critical thinking, practical application and social responsibility. Students appreciate Pratt for its energy, diversity and its New York City address. Nearly 3,000 undergraduates pursue degrees in art, architecture, design, art education and art management at Pratt's main campus in Brooklyn and its satellite campus in Manhattan. The fine arts department offers programs in drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and digital arts. The design department is known for its programs in industrial, digital and fashion design. "U.S. News & World Report" ranked Pratt's graduate program in interior design No. 1 in the United States.
In 2002, a group of American art critics named the School of the Art Institute of Chicago the most influential art school in the nation. Located in downtown Chicago, SAIC's degrees programs cover traditional studios arts, architecture, design and writing.The school also offers programs in arts education, therapy, history and criticism. SAIC fosters an open exchange of ideas and expertise among students by encouraging an interdisciplinary approach. Students from different programs such as ceramics, sculpture and architecture may team up to find a solution to one particular creative challenge. Roughly 2,500 undergraduates attend SAIC, and more than 80 percent of all classes have fewer than 20 students. All classes are pass/fail but faculty continually evaluates student work and performance.
Located on a 60-acre campus in Valencia, about 40 miles north of Los Angeles, the California Institute for the Arts, or CalArts, was one of the first art colleges to combine visual and performing arts. CalArts offers degree programs in art, music, dance, critical thinking, drama and film and collaboration among the different disciplines is emphasized. Roughly 28 percent of the school's nearly 900 undergrads chose film and cinema study as a major in 2009. Fine arts and theater were also top picks. "U.S. News & World Report" ranked CalArts' graduate program in mixed media and visual communication second best in the country.
In 1886, Minneapolis College of Art and Design held it first class for 28 students in a downtown apartment.Today, approximately 650 undergraduates and 60 graduate students attend MCAD at its five-acre campus in the heart of Minneapolis. In addition to a bachelor of fine arts degree in traditional areas such as painting, sculpture and photography, MCAD also offers programs in commercial art and advertising. The college also has several different programs that prepare students for jobs in printing and publishing fields including a degree in comic art. MCAD rounds out its list of career-orientated degrees with programs in Web communication and design, animation and furniture design.