The Rhode Island School of Design ranked as America's best art school in the 2008 US News poll. Founded in 1877, RISD is situated in Providence, Rhode Island, very close to another of America's great schools, Brown University. RISD offers both a graduate and undergraduate program: the undergraduate school enrolls about 1,800 students, while the graduate program has 400. The school has a reputation for embracing conceptual art and design. Notable alumni include David Whitney, Gus Van Zant, Kara Walker, David Macaulay and Janine Antoni.
Rhode Island School of Design
2 College Street
Providence, RI 02903
401-454-6100
risd.edu
The Yale School of Art placed second in the 2008 US News ranking of art schools. The School is one of 12 constituent Yale programs, and offers only Masters of Fine Arts degrees. Yale is one of the most competitive art schools in the country; in an admissions cycle, only 50 out of 1,200 applications are accepted. Yale's MFA program is completed in a minimum of two years and in one of four disciplines: graphic design, painting/printmaking, photography, and sculpture. Mark Rothko, Chuck Close, John Currin and Eva Hesse are among Yale's graduates.
Yale School of Art
1156 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT 06511
203-432-2600
art.yale.edu
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is America's largest art school and was ranked third by the 2008 US News poll. Enrolling 2,400 undergraduates and 600 graduate students, SAIC is as focused on instilling a broad sense of art history and theory in its students as it is on perfecting individual craft. Founded in 1866, the School is closely associated with the Art Institute of Chicago museum, meaning that students are offered close interaction with successful artists. SAIC graduates include Sterling Ruby, Orson Welles, Sarah Vowell, David Sedaris and Georgia O'Keeffe.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
37 South Wabash Av.
Chicago IL 60603
312-899-5170
artic.edu