Rhode Island School of Design was ranked as the top school for graphics design by U.S. News & World Report in 2008. According to the school's website, the bachelor's program helps students develop their own design language while solving problems using "creative methodologies." Undergraduate students take courses in communications theory, design history, visual form-making, and a series of typography courses. The master's degree program prepares students for professional practice by adding elements of media, aesthetic and social context to each student's design language. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, the school also runs the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art.
Located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, the Cranbrook Academy of Art is an independent graduate school that was ranked second by U.S. News & World Report in 2008. Cranbrooke offers a master's degree in graphic design. Unlike other schools, Cranbrook does not have a formal course structure. Students learn from an accomplished "Designer in Residence" over a two-year period and self-design their course of study. Students are required to complete a reading and writing program that help them think critically and synthesize ideas. Their works are critiqued each week. Cranbook puts an emphasis on student initiative and self-direction. Cranbrook's graphic design department is known as "2D Design."
Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University's College of Fine Arts offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in design, including the bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees. Their graphic arts program is known as "Communication Design." The school takes a "holistic approach" to design education, according to College Crunch's review of the school. In the student's first year, they learn basic skill and the social and cultural aspects of design. The rest of the program is focused on principles of communication design and design history. Students are required to take courses in type and image in static and dynamic form. They also complete a series of typography studios along with color and digital imaging. Students can choose electives in many areas, including journal design, kinetic typography and interface and interaction design.
Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in graphic design. The school offers a series of courses in graphic design, including graduate studio, typography, 4-D design, and exhibition design, among others. The undergraduate degree leads to a bachelor's degree in art, while the school offers the Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. The program is highly competitive. Up to ten students are enrolled in the full two-year program, while up to seven are admitted to a preliminary year-long program.