In 2008, "U.S. News & World Report" ranked the top art programs in the nation based on surveys of faculty members in art departments nationwide. Respondents provided their assessment of art program they were familiar with. Based on these perceptions and the quantification of these answers by the publication, three schools emerged as clear leaders in the field of art.
The highest rated art program in the nation is the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), a world renowned art school known for its leadership in a variety of art disciplines. For instance, the industrial design program at RISD ranked second in the same year's survey of industrial design schools. RISD offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Areas of study include textiles, apparel design, architecture, sculpture, printmaking, interior architecture, industrial design, graphic design, furniture design, jewelry, film, ceramics, photography and painting.
Rhode Island School of Design
Master of Fine Arts Program
2 College St.
Providence, RI 02903
401-454-6300
www.risd.edu
Yale university ranked No. 2 on the "U.S. News & World Report" rankings for 2008. Yale, highly respected among those in the art community, offers a variety of degree programs within four major fields of study: sculpture, photography, graphic design and printmaking. Yale does not offer undergraduate degrees in any of these fields. Undergraduate art students declare art as an undergraduate major as part of their liberal arts degree. The only degree conferred by the school of art is the Master of Fine Art. Yale offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of art. The highly selective master's degree program admits only a small handful of students (10 to 20) to each of the four areas of specialization each year.
Yale University
School of Art
1156 Chapel St.
New Haven, CT 06520
203-432-4155
art.yale.edu
In 2008, "U.S. News & World Report" ranked the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as the No. 3 art school in the nation. Founded in 1866, the school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees, along with a number of post-graduate programs. The school also offers a variety of degree concentrations in traditional fields such as sculpture, printmaking and painting. More specialized areas of study include critical and visual studies, arts policy and administration and design for emerging technologies. These fields, along with the many others offered, provide students with the necessary variety to study nearly every area of art.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Master of Fine Arts Program
37 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603
312-629-6100
www.saic.edu