Acceptance Rate and Application Statistics
The following table compares the admission related statistics including number of applicants, admitted, and enrolled between best Graphic Design schools. The average acceptance rate of best Graphic Design schools is 28.96% and the average admission yield (enrollment rate) is 26.83%.
Yale University has the tighest (lowest) acceptance rate of 3.87% and Yale University has the highest yield (enrollment rate) of 69.78% among best Graphic Design schools. The numbers in parenthesis() in below table represent the number and rate by gender (men/women). The statistics is based on the latest data from IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education for academic year 2024-2025.
| Rank | Name | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Acceptance Rate | Enrollment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island School of Design | 6,692 (1,406/5,279) | 1,249 (287/962) | 518 (134/384) | 19% (20%/18%) | 41% (47%/7%) |
| 2 | Yale University | 57,517 (24,951/32,540) | 2,227 (1,136/1,091) | 1,554 (782/772) | 4% (5%/3%) | 70% (69%/2%) |
| 3 | Maryland Institute College of Art | 3,201 (701/2,494) | 2,458 (462/1,992) | 255 (55/199) | 77% (66%/80%) | 10% (12%/8%) |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University | 33,941 (20,143/12,734) | 3,959 (1,973/1,870) | 1,808 (974/780) | 12% (10%/15%) | 46% (49%/6%) |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 20,954 (7,699/13,232) | 19,408 (7,029/12,357) | 4,190 (1,487/2,692) | 93% (91%/93%) | 22% (21%/20%) |
| 6 | Cranbrook Academy of Art | No admission statistics available for the school. | ||||
| 7 | Art Center College of Design | 1,461 (432/1,029) | 1,089 (302/787) | 343 (125/218) | 75% (70%/76%) | 31% (41%/21%) |
| 7 | California Institute of the Arts | 2,004 (570/1,235) | 648 (186/398) | 181 (45/109) | 32% (33%/32%) | 28% (24%/9%) |
| 9 | School of Visual Arts | 3,140 (731/2,409) | 2,909 (652/2,257) | 604 (142/462) | 93% (89%/94%) | 21% (22%/19%) |
| 10 | The New School | 9,828 (2,315/6,968) | 6,238 (1,410/4,485) | 1,328 (292/969) | 63% (61%/64%) | 21% (21%/14%) |
| Average | 15,415 (6,550/6,550) | 4,465 (1,493/2,911) | 1,198 (448/732) | 28.96% (22.8%/44.4%) | 26.83% (30.0%/25.1%) | |
SAT Scores Comparison
The average SAT score of best Graphic Design schools is 1373. By subject, the average score of the SAT EBRW(Evidence-based Reading and Writing) is 688 and the average SAT Math score is 685.
Yale University has the highest SAT scores of 1,540 and Virginia Commonwealth University has the lowest SAT scores of 1,130 among best Graphic Design schools. The following table compares SAT Scores between best Graphic Design schools for the academic year 2024-2025.
| Rank | Name | Submit%* (Submit#**) | SAT Total | Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island School of Design | 15% (80) | 1480 | 720 | 760 |
| 2 | Yale University | 61% (950) | 1540 | 760 | 780 |
| 3 | Maryland Institute College of Art | 11% (28) | 1225 | 645 | 580 |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University | 53% (951) | 1540 | 750 | 790 |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 34% (1,442) | 1130 | 580 | 550 |
| 6 | Cranbrook Academy of Art | No data is available. | |||
| 7 | Art Center College of Design | Test Score is NOT considered for Art Center College of Design admission. | |||
| 7 | California Institute of the Arts | Test Score is NOT considered for California Institute of the Arts admission. | |||
| 9 | School of Visual Arts | 7% (42) | 1320 | 670 | 650 |
| 10 | The New School | Test Score is NOT considered for The New School admission. | |||
| Average | 30.17% | 1373 | 688 | 685 | |
ACT Scores Comparison
The average ACT score of best Graphic Design schools is 31. By subject, the average ACT English score is 33 and the ACT math score is 30.
The following table compares ACT Scores between best Graphic Design schools for academic year 2024-2025.
| Rank | Name | Submit%* (Submit#**) | Composite | English | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island School of Design | 3% (17) | 32 | 35 | 30 |
| 2 | Yale University | 25% (384) | 34 | 35 | 34 |
| 3 | Maryland Institute College of Art | 4% (10) | 29 | 33 | 24 |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University | 22% (405) | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 3% (127) | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| 6 | Cranbrook Academy of Art | No data is available. | |||
| 7 | Art Center College of Design | Test Score is NOT considered for Art Center College of Design admission. | |||
| 7 | California Institute of the Arts | Test Score is NOT considered for California Institute of the Arts admission. | |||
| 9 | School of Visual Arts | 0% (3) | |||
| 10 | The New School | Test Score is NOT considered for The New School admission. | |||
| Average | 11.40% | 31 | 33 | 30 | |
*Number of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
**Percent of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
Application Requirements
The following table list and compare the requirements when applying best Graphic Design schools based on academic year 2024-2025 data.
| Rank | Name | HS GPA | HS Rank | HS Record | Prep. Program | Rec. | Compe. | SAT/ACT | TOEFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island School of Design | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 2 | Yale University | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 3 | Maryland Institute College of Art | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 6 | Cranbrook Academy of Art | Information about requirements for applying to school is not available. | |||||||
| 7 | Art Center College of Design | ✓ | ✗ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ |
| 7 | California Institute of the Arts | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ |
| 9 | School of Visual Arts | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 10 | The New School | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ |
✔: Required △: Considered but not Required ✔: Recommended ✗: Neither Required nor Recommended
- HS GPA: High School or Secondary School GPA
- HS Rank: High School or Secondary School Rank
- HS Record: High School or Secondary School Record
- Prep. Program: Completion of College Preparatory Program
- Rec.: Recommendations
- Comp.: Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g., portfolios, certificates of mastery, assessment instruments)
The ranking data is provided by CollegeEvaluator.
Top Colleges By Subject
- Tightest Schools To Admit (Lowest Acceptance Rate)
- Affordable Schools To Admit (Highest Acceptance Rate)
- Most Favored Schools (Highest Yield)
- Colleges with Low Yield
- Expensive Colleges (Highest Tuition & Fees)
- Inexpensive Colleges (Lowest Tuition & Fees)
- Colleges with Most Students
- Colleges with Least Students
- Colleges with Most Online Students
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- Colleges with Highest Graduation Rates
- Colleges with Lowest Graduation Rates
- Low Student to Faculty Ratio
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*Number of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
**Percent of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.