The Best Graduate Art Programs

Rhode Island School of Design

• Rhode Island School of Design was ranked the number one fine arts graduate program by U.S. News and World Report in 2008. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, Rhode Island School of Design, or RISD, offers graduate programs in 16 different fields, from furniture design to sculpture to architecture. With about 400 graduate students, RISD provides a rich environment in which to learn and practice different kinds of art. Most graduate students are given 24-hour secure studio access.

  Rhode Island School of Design
  Two College Street
  Providence, RI 02903
  (401) 454-6100
  www.risd.edu

Yale University School of Art

• Yale University School of Art was ranked the number two fine arts graduate program by U.S. News and World Report in 2008. The Yale University School of Art is a professional school, meaning it offers only Masters of Fine Arts degrees and no undergraduate degrees. The school offers four different areas of study: graphic design, painting/printmaking, photography and sculpture. The school prides itself on nurturing a healthy critical dialogue and a creative environment where students are encouraged to think outside the box. Students spend a significant amount of their time working on their art in a studio environment.

  Yale University School of Art
  1156 Chapel Street
  New Haven, Connecticut
  (203) 432-2600
  art.yale.edu

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

• The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) was ranked the number three fine arts graduate program by U.S. News and World Report in 2008. Located in Chicago, Illinois, SAIC is one of the largest art schools in the country. It is also associated with the museum of the same name, The Art Institute of Chicago. SAIC offers over a dozen graduate art degrees, including everything from writing to art therapy to historic preservation. The school does not use a standard grading system, instead opting for a pass/not pass approach, which is intended to encourage exploration and growth without the worry of institutional failure. Graduate students at SAIC are encouraged to work at the crossroads of theory and practice, thus using their artistic skills in a way that engages the world at large.

  School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  37 South Wabash Avenue
  Chicago, IL 60603-3002
  (312) 899-5170
  www.saic.edu