Ranking Art Schools

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>I think it's funny how there is no official rankings of Art Schools like they have with US NEWS with research universities.</p>

<p>i say it's funny because people say it's hard to rank art school because of their own individual programs and structure, but if you really think about it, all research universities also have individual programs and structure that make them different.</p>

<p>USC is no Cal Tech or MIT, yet they're still ranked on the same list. </p>

<p>USC has one of the best film dept, and for some reason they're still ranked on the same list with a schoo like CAl tech and mit who are strongests at math and sciences.</p>

<p>I'm not sure if I'm getting my point accross effectively. But so what if risd is better in something while cal arts is better in something else. </p>

<p>can't they make a list like they do with the generic us news rankings?</p>

<p>But</p>

2

<p>best types of art
best types of food
best weather conditions
best cultures
best skin colors
best genders
best religions</p>

<p>that would really help sort things out, and the world would be a better place.</p>

3

<p>so.. let's do it</p>

<p>opinions: rank top three, then we can put together a list at the end. how does that sound??</p>

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<p>I don't know that its a good idea for people on this forum to make a ranking of art schools, considering that most of us have subjective opinions about which is best, and thats pretty much based on everyone else's opinions. I'm sure most people will put RISD at the top, because of its reputation, and not because they've actually been and experienced their program.</p>

<p>For example, if I were to give my top three it would be</p>

<p>RISD, because its soooo totally elite.</p>

<p>Pratt, because its in NYC and that makes it good. I also got in.</p>

<p>Tyler School of Art, because thats where I'm going.</p>

5

<p>It depends if you are judgint fine art or design, if you are judging design, you have to break it town to graphic design, digital design, fashion design,Interior design, digital design/multimedia etc. and architecture. Finally, you have to have separate rankings for both undergraduate and graduate design. No one school is strongest in all this for undergrad. However, in my opinion, for undergraduate areas, here are my top 4 or 5 picks</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Fine art
RISD, MICA SAIC, Syracuse, UCLA and Yale, and Cooper Union
Honorable mention to Pratt, East Carolina State, TYler, and a number of LACs too.</p></li>
<li><p>Architecture
University of Cicinnati ( if you can believe it), Cornell, RICE and CMU</p></li>
<li><p>Interior Design
University of Cincinnati ( top ranked), Pratt, University of Kansas
I think Cornell has a program too.</p></li>
<li><p>Industrial Design
Art Center College of Design, University of Cincinnati, CMU, RIT. Pratt Institute, RISD,Cleveland Institute of Art, Columbus College of Art</p></li>
<li><p>Transportation design
Art Center College of Design, University of Cincinnati are all that I know have strong programs. I am sure that there are more that I don't know about.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>6 . Graphic Design
Many schools. Some of which are: RISD, RIT, Pratt, Yale,University of Cincnnati, CMU (communication design), VCU,Tyler, Cooper Union et. al.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Digital Design/new media: University of Cincinati, RIT, Pratt Institute, MICA has a new program that I can't evaluate.</p></li>
<li><p>Animation and/or sequential art: SVA, RISD, Pratt Institute, SCAD, RIT</p></li>
<li><p>Fashion Design: FIT, Parsons Pratt Institute, University of Cincinnati,Otis College of Art, especially for costume design.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>10.Photography: RIT, RISD, SAIC are the ones that stand out.</p>

<p>Some other schools that have repudedly strong programs in fine arts and graphic arts, but I am not familar enough with the programs are: Mass College of Art, SUNY Purchase, Museum School of Boston, where you get a Tufts Diploma, Corcoran School of Art primarily for fine art</p>

<p>I am sure that there are other strong programs that I didn't mention in each category. These, however, are, for the most part, known to have some of the better programs in their categories.</p>

<p>I also didn't mentioned SCAD for the most part, other than for sequential art, because I know little about it.</p>

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<p>Oh yes, I left out Wash U St. Louis for fine arts, which is repudedly very good.</p>

7

<p>taxguy, I don't think it is wise for you to present your own ranking. It is a matter of your opinion, and granted you know more than most people as you have done some research, but you are still no authority on the issue. Granted you did state that it is only your opinion, but a comprehensive list as this gives a false sense of credibility. If we are to go by any ranking at all, it would be the USNEWS:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hana-edu.co.kr/artnd/majorranking_usa.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hana-edu.co.kr/artnd/majorranking_usa.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Note: the site is korean, but it is from USNEWS paid section.</p>

<p>But I'm sure you will approve this list as it doesn't mention SCAD anywhere, nor is there any mention of University of Cinn as top ranked anything, I think.</p>

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<p>dguy24, as you noted, I said my ranking list is based on MY OPINION. Thus, it has to be taken as such.</p>

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<p>Those USNews rankings are for graduate programs only.</p>

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<p>I thought Taxguy's ranking was pretty solid.</p>

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<p>"dguy24, as you noted, I said my ranking list is based on MY OPINION. Thus, it has to be taken as such."</p>

<p>Well, since you blanket this forum with YOUR OPINION/misinformation. I suggest think twice, since it can do some damage. Your opinions are biased or down right false. </p>

<p>No offense to U. of Cinn. But to suggest a third tier public university to rank that high in that many fields is just a blatant disregard to common sense, and with no corroborating evidence to boot. I suppose the fact that your daugher will be attending there in the fall has nothing to do with it.</p>

<p>Also, you seem to have some vendetta against SCAD, and make a point to publicly denounce them every chance you get. Not just on this, but in forums across the internet.</p>

<p>You are not an objective source, and as a student researching artschools (which is why I ran into many of your posts), I find that you give me false impressions, and I just hope that you won't skew anymore potential art student.</p>

<p>"TH21 Those USNews rankings are for graduate programs only."</p>

<p>Let me put it to you this way. MIT has one of the best Graduate Engineering program in the country. Guess where their Undergraduate Engineering rank? Harvard has one of the most impressive Law School, guess how high their pre-Law program rank. Do you need a few minutes?</p>

<p>For art schools, since there isn't an Undergraduate ranking, I find that the quality of their Graduate program to be telling. Since if they have a strong Graduate program in one field, their Undergrad can't be too far behind.</p>

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<p>Dguy, I don't even know where to start responding to you.</p>

<p>First, my information on this and other forums is based on research that I have done at schools and/or by asking various art professionals' opinions. Whether you agree or not is your prerogative, as it is my prerogative to post these opinions AS LONG AS everyone realized that these are my opinions.</p>

<p>As for Cincinnati, my daughter is going there NOT because of the US News and World Report ranking but because it was VERY well recommended by graphic design and new media folks whom I work with. Also, if you check out Design Intelligence magazine, UC has a very strong rankings in Architecture, interior design and industrial design. However, perhaps your knowledge is vastly superior and more unbiased then that magazine and better than those that I consulted with.</p>

<p>As for having a vendetta against SCAD, this is NOT true. I have never seen SCAD, but I did meet one student who attended there about three years ago. All I know about SCAD is that they aren't NASAD accredited. This may mean nothing or it may mean alot depending on the person who evaluates SCAD. Frankly, I don't know one way or the other.</p>

<p>That is all I am going to say about this in response to you. Feel free to flame away since I will not respond.</p>

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<p>Actually, Cincy is QUITE well respected in architecture, interior design, and industrial design. While taxguy could obviously know a little more about architecture schools, as he omitted consensus top schools such as Harvard and Cooper Union, those schools he put down certainly deserve nods as some of the top ones. And ALL rankings are opinion. It's just a matter of WHOSE opinion they are, and how much you respect that source. I come on this forum specifically to get opinions like these, since so few respected sources bother with art school rankings. So go ahead, argue about it. Tell us what schools YOU think are the best. Every opinion added brings the respectability of the conclusion up in my eyes- while one person could be overly biased, the more people you add to the mix, the better idea of the reputation of these schools you're going to get.</p>

<p>Taxguy- I haven't been here long, but since I'm considering SCAD, I've read through pretty much every SCAD thread there is on here, and consequently many, many of your posts. I also got the overall impression that you had some sort of personal hatred for SCAD. Whether you meant to or not, that's how you've come off. The internet can be tricky that way. I thought you should know, from someone who isn't in an arguement with you at the moment. </p>

<p>As for the grad vs. undergrad rankings issue, there can be quite a difference. I would agree that a strong graduate program often does indicate a strong school overall, but there are cases where a graduate program may be weak but the undergrad program very strong. For instance, I attended a school of architecture in which the 5-year B.Arch was the primary focus of the school for decades, while the grad program was younger, had fewer students, was not as well respected, and generally just hadn't really taken off yet. This did nothing to diminish the strength of the undergrad program -actually, since the undergrad program was the primary focus of the administration, undergrad students may have actually benefited from this situation in some ways. So I would definitely consider rankings that are only for graduate schools to not be definitive for someone looking at an undergrad degree. But in the absence of undergrad rankings, they'll have to do.</p>

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<p>[dguy24]
"You are not an objective source, and as a student researching artschools (which is why I ran into many of your posts), I find that you give me false impressions, and I just hope that you won't skew anymore potential art student."</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>could not have said it better myself.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Let me put it to you this way. MIT has one of the best Graduate Engineering program in the country. Guess where their Undergraduate Engineering rank? Harvard has one of the most impressive Law School, guess how high their pre-Law program rank. Do you need a few minutes?</p>

<p>For art schools, since there isn't an Undergraduate ranking, I find that the quality of their Graduate program to be telling. Since if they have a strong Graduate program in one field, their Undergrad can't be too far behind.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>dguy - the condescending tone of your post to me is offensive. But, leaving that aside, your logic is embarassingly flawed.</p>

<p>You may need a few minutes as well, but take your time with this concept. A ranking of grad schools doesn't contain schools that don't have grad programs.</p>

<p>Yeah, stop and think about that mindbender for a moment. It's tough, I know.</p>

<p>The problem is, that arguably the best undergrad art school doesn't have a graduate program. It's the same school that has a 5% acceptance rate and a 90% yield, numbers that put Yale to shame.</p>

<p>It's the school where 9 of 10 students who are accepted to that school and RISD turn down RISD.</p>

<p>Next time you choose to be smug and condescending, dguy, I would hope you have at least a simple grasp of the topic.</p>

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<p>TH21: obviously you do not grasp what I was trying to say, so I will use other people's words, maybe you will have better luck understanding them.</p>

<p>Exhibit A:</p>

<p>liek0806 - "can't they make a list like they do with the generic us news rankings?"</p>

<p>Exhibit B:</p>

<p>larationalist- "So I would definitely consider rankings that are only for graduate schools to not be definitive for someone looking at an undergrad degree. But in the absence of undergrad rankings, they'll have to do."</p>

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<p>dguy24, Did you miss the point of my post entirely??</p>

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<p>What is there to get? You are only stating the obvious. Yes, it is graduate ranking, and it does not list good schools without graduate program. But guess what? the original poster wants some kind of US News Ranking, and since school with good Graduate programs tend to have equally strong Undergrad programs, I thought the list will help him in his research. I'm not suggesting that the list is definitive, and I would encourage him to look at other schools without Graduate programs. I was trying to HELP. </p>

<p>I guess I should thank you for pointing out the obvious. So thanks.</p>

19

<p>for the original poster- I guess the thing to do here, is to take into account lists like the one posted, but make sure that you are aware of their deficiencies. Try to find other lists, get opinions from anyone you can (those accompanied by reasons WHY they liked or disliked a program are especially helpful), look at student work. Don't let a list dictate, but use it as a small piece of what will inform your own list.</p>

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<p>Perhaps a better way to view it is that such lists are useful for finding schools to include in one's search, but shouldn't be used to exclude schools that may not appear on a certain list.</p>