Nestled away in the smallest state in the union is America's top fine arts college, the Rhode Island School of Design. This Providence-based college offers both undergraduate and graduate courses in fine arts including illustration, ceramics, glass, painting and sculpture. RISD was founded in 1877 and in 2010 was home to over 2,000 students. The school hosts a museum and gallery, with a number of prominent artists coming through to lecture and provide insight to students.
Rhode Island School of Design
224 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903-2711
401-454-6500
risd.edu
While Yale is noteworthy for its law and business programs, the New Haven, Connecticut university also hosts a School of Art, ranked second in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Majors at the Yale University School of Art include graphic design, sculpture, photgraphy, video art, painting, printmaking and sculpture. The school also hosts exhibitions in its on-site gallery.
Yale University School of Art
1156 Chapel St.
New Haven, CT 06511-8921
203-432-2600
art.yale.edu
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest fine arts schools in the United States, founded in 1866 as the Chicago Academy of Design. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate education in the fine arts. Over 3,000 students attended the school in 2009. The campus is two-thirds female and one-third male, with students from over 40 countries. Noteworthy graduates of SAIC include Nora Dunn, Sarah Vowell, LeRoy Neiman and Ivan Albright.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
37 South Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603
312-629-6100
saic.edu
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan's Cranbook Academy of Art is the fourth-ranked fine arts school in the United States. The academy offers programs such as two- and three-dimensional design, painting, metalsmithing, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. Resources offered by the Academy include a media lab, woodshop, gallery, art museum and library. The museum includes both changing exhibitions and a permanent collection designed to act as a point of reference to students as they hone their trade.
Cranbook Academy of Art
39221 Woodward Ave., Box 801
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0801
248-645-3300
cranbrookart.edu
Baltimore's Maryland Institute College of Art shares the fourth-ranked spot with the Cranbook Academy of Art. MICA offers bachelor's degree programs in painting, drawing, photography, animation, printmaking and general fine arts. Graduate programs are geared toward arts education and the arts as a profession. Both post-baccalaureate and continuing education certificate programs are offered.
Maryland Institute College of Art
1300 W. Mount Royal Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21217
410-669-9200
mica.edu