{"id":293,"date":"2025-02-04T00:58:30","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T00:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lumefind.com\/?p=293"},"modified":"2022-07-01T15:05:42","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T15:05:42","slug":"ten-great-schools-for-creatives-and-5-to-definitely-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lumefind.com\/?p=293","title":{"rendered":"Ten great schools for creatives"},"content":{"rendered":"

The creative media arts professional has exploded in the last two decades. The result is a proliferation of colleges, universities, and specialty schools devoted to higher education in creative media. These schools have developed programs which run the gamut from traditional media curricula in photography, art and music to cutting edge CGI and videography.<\/p>\n

Creative students should always research for themselves. That being said, here\u2019s ten great schools to keep on the short list, and five to definitely avoid.<\/p>\n

Best of the Best<\/h4>\n
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Stanford University:<\/strong>\u00a0 Frisco and NYC have always been nip-tuck in terms of who has the best schools for creative. Stanford, however, has been at the top of the heap in so many ratings, it\u2019s not even close.\u00a0 A gorgeous campus, cutting edge tech, and a California-sized endowment makes Stanford a winner in every category.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s Best Value Schools or US News and World Report, Stanford consistentyl ranks in the top ten.\u00a0 Toss in the Mission District\u2019s vibrant arts scene, and only one other school comes close\u2026<\/p>\n

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New York University:\u00a0<\/strong> Just like sports teams have the east-west rivalry, so too do colleges, especially private ones.\u00a0 NYU has been Stanford\u2019s recruiting nemesis when it comes to creative for years.\u00a0 Seriously, what creative doesn\u2019t<\/em> want to live the life in New York?\u00a0 Add to the fact its proximity to the finest arts schools in the Big Apple, and you\u2019d be hard pressed to find a more sought-after admissions letter.\u00a0As the saying goes, if you can make it there, you can make anywhere!<\/em><\/p>\n

Best of the Rest<\/h4>\n
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Rhode Island School of Design,<\/strong> Providence, Rhode Island<\/p>\n

When Owen Wilson mentioned \u201cRizdee\u201d in The Wedding Crashers<\/em>, artists across America likely cheered. Everyone else, of course, probably scratched their heads.\u00a0 Nonetheless, this powerhouse is one of New England\u2019s best Fine Arts schools. It consistently ranks on several \u201cbest value\u201d lists, including the #1 spot on BestValueSchools for Fine Arts programs.<\/p>\n

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University of New Mexico<\/strong>,\u00a0Albuquerque, New Mexico<\/p>\n

When you think of Columbia, you think of Journalists, right?\u00a0 Well, New York\u2019s Ivy League entry has one of America\u2019s most competitive creative arts programs. As for admission, getting in there is no easy feat.\u00a0 Still, being one of America\u2019s longtime elite universities carries with it significant influence. For this reason, Columbia has the ability to win some of America\u2019s brightest creative minds.<\/p>\n

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Ringling College of Art and Design,<\/strong> Sarasota, Florida<\/p>\n

This little school along Florida\u2019s Gulf Coast has been a standard bearer for artists for decades.\u00a0 According to GameDesigning.org, Ringling has not only developed into one of the Southeast\u2019s pre-eminent art schools, but its BFA in Graphic Design coordinates with local businesses for students get real-world experience. This is a huge advantage in developing job contacts in the highly-competitive Tampa Bay market.<\/p>\n

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University of California \u2013 Los Angeles<\/strong><\/p>\n

When people think LA, they think glitz, glamour, and the Bruins.\u00a0 But don\u2019t think for a moment that the same school which gave us Troy Aikman doesn\u2019t have one of the nation\u2019s top-tier creative programs.\u00a0 Film, art, writing programs are top notch, and there are connections to spare in tinseltown. This makes UCLA a school most creatives would do anything to be accepted into.\u00a0 CollegeFactual\u2019s ranks UCLA as #3 for its 2020 Best Film, Video & Photographic Arts Colleges in the U.S.<\/p>\n

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Savannah College of Art and Design,<\/strong> Savannah & Atlanta, Georgia<\/p>\n

Most folks would not associate Georgia with a vibrant, powerful, cutting edge arts scene. However, consider this \u2013 of their former students was…India Arie<\/em>!\u00a0 How\u2019s that<\/strong> for cred?\u00a0 Both the Atlanta satellite and Savannah mothership are top flight schools for budding arts professionals.\u00a0 In fact, SCAD is ranked #19 on BestValueSchool\u2019s list of best schools for Art and Design<\/p>\n

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University of New Mexico<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Located in the state nicknamed the \u201cLand of Enchantment,\u201d students who go to UNM enjoy a photography and Fine Arts program which is among the top ten in the nation.\u00a0 One of its primary assets is the self-study curriculum, which emphasizes discipline and devotion to their chosen field of study.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t hurt that Albuquerque has one of the nation\u2019s most vibrant college arts scene this side of California.<\/p>\n

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University of Florida<\/strong>, Gainesville, Florida<\/p>\n

\u201cGator Nation\u201d is known worldwide for many academic areas, but most people would not put Studio Arts in that category.\u00a0 Guess what?\u00a0 UF is not only considered among the best universities in the nation for Graphic Design and Studio Arts, it also has alumni working for such companies as Disney and Microsoft.\u00a0 Pretty good company to keep for a school which counts Steve Spurrier and Tim Tebow as graduates.<\/p>\n

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Georgia Southwestern State University,<\/strong> Americus, Georgia<\/p>\n

Okay, it\u2019s time some gratuitous homerism (Full Disclosure: this writer is an alum.<\/em>)\u00a0 GSW, as it\u2019s known to students, locals and alumni, is the smallest public university in the Peach State.\u00a0 What it lacks in ratings (#543 on the 2020 College Factual list) it makes up for in quality (earning the rank of \u201cHIGHEST\u201d by the same list) and its eclectic variety of concentrations in its Fine Arts Department, including one of only two university-based glassblowing labs <\/em>in Georgia.<\/p>\n

Of course, for all the great, there are the not-so-great.<\/p>\n

The 5 schools to definitely avoid<\/h4>\n

Columbia College Hollywood: <\/strong>\u00a0when you make it to the list of several website\u2019s Worst Colleges, that\u2019s not a good thing.\u00a0 When MoneyInc.com describes your school as \u201ca film school and the high default rates indicate that students who graduate are not able to secure stable and gainful employment,\u201d this screams \u201crun far, run fast!\u201d<\/p>\n

Full Sail University:<\/strong>\u00a0 This school is a mixed bag as far as quality and degrees are concerned.\u00a0 It is well known in the creative arts industry and has pioneered many firsts, such as the nation\u2019s first-ever gaming arena on a college campus.\u00a0 What puts this university on the \u201cavoid\u201d list are actually two intangibles:\u00a0 the awful traffic near its Winter Park, Florida campus, and the fact that they consistent get under 2 star ratings from current and former students on many ratings sites.<\/p>\n

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh:<\/strong>\u00a0 Arts Enthusiasts and alums many argue that this school is well worth attending and offers an excellent education, but numbers don\u2019t lie.\u00a0 According to Forbes.com, it\u2019s $155,000+ total tuition yield a return-on-educational investment of -$228,000.\u00a0 Yes, that\u2019s a negative number!<\/p>\n

Art Institute (multicity):<\/strong>\u00a0 This multi-city for profit school is on this list for one reason:\u00a0 they advertise relentlessly, and their credits are generally not transferable.\u00a0 They operate much like the \u201ccareer colleges\u201d advertised on TV stations during daytime talk shows; very little is required for admission, and many students report minimal return on investment.<\/p>\n

American Academy of Art:\u00a0<\/strong> This Chicago school is on the list not for what is known, but for what is generally unknown, and that\u2019s everything<\/em>.\u00a0 There\u2019s little rating information beyond their own website, and that\u2019s worrisome.\u00a0 When a school isn\u2019t even rated by reputable publications, that\u2019s an area for concern.<\/p>\n

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