Art schools play a pivotal role in nurturing creative talent and shaping the future of the art and design industry. From traditional techniques to cutting-edge technology, these institutions offer a diverse range of courses to aspiring artists, designers, and innovators. Also, learning in art schools abroad can be an immersive experience of traditional art and culture. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the top 80 art schools around the world, along with the popular courses they offer.
*Note – Courses offered in Universities and art schools tend to change with time. Please check up-to-date courses on university websites.
North America
- Parsons School of Design
New York, USA
Popular Courses – Fashion Design, Communication Design, Illustration.
- Rhode Island School of Design
Providence, USA
Popular Courses – Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Painting.
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, USA
Popular Courses – Sculpture, Print Media, Fibre and Material Studies.
- California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, USA
Popular Courses – Character Animation, Photography and Media, Graphic Design.
- California College of the Arts (CCA)
San Francisco, USA
Popular Courses – CCA offers programs in Animation, Film, and Graphic Design.
- University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design
Berkeley, USA
Popular Courses – Focused on environmental design, this college offers programs in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Studies.
- University of California, Irvine (UCI) Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Irvine, USA
Popular Courses – UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts offers programs in Dance, Drama, and Music.
- Emily Carr University of Art and Design
Vancouver, Canada
Popular Courses – Animation, Industrial Design, Film + Screen Arts.
- Yale School of Art
New Haven, USA
Popular Courses – As a part of Yale University, the Yale School of Art offers an MFA program with a focus on Painting/Printmaking, Sculpture, and Photography.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Cambridge, USA
Popular Courses – While MIT is primarily known for science and technology, its Program in Art, Culture, and Technology offers an interdisciplinary approach to art and design.
- Columbia University School of the Arts
New York City, USA
Popular Courses – Columbia University’s School of the Arts offers an MFA program with concentrations in Visual Arts, Writing, and Film.
- Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Savannah, USA
Popular Courses – SCAD offers a plethora of programs, including Animation, Fashion, and Sequential Art, fostering a multidisciplinary approach.
- Pratt Institute
Brooklyn, USA
Popular Courses – Pratt Institute is renowned for its programs in Architecture, Fashion Design, and Digital Arts.
- Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, USA
Popular Courses – Otis College of Art and Design provides programs in Digital Media, Toy Design, and Communication Arts.
- School of Visual Arts (SVA)
New York City, USA
Popular Courses – SVA offers a range of art programs, including Computer Art, Film, and Visual and Critical Studies.
- Carnegie Mellon University School of Art
Pittsburgh, USA
Popular Courses – CMU School of Art provides programs in Electronic and Time-Based Media, Painting, and Sculpture.
- Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCU Arts)
Richmond, USA
Popular Courses – VCU Arts provides programs in Craft/Material Studies, Kinetic Imaging, and Painting + Printmaking.
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD)
Minneapolis, USA
Popular Courses – MCAD offers programs in Animation, Comic Art, and Film.
- Cornish College of the Arts
Seattle, USA
Popular Courses – Cornish College of the Arts provides programs in Dance, Design, and Film + Media.
- Memphis College of Art
Memphis, USA
Popular Courses – Memphis College of Art provides programs in Drawing, Painting, and Illustration.
- Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
Baltimore, USA
Popular Courses – MICA offers programs in Illustration, Interactive Arts, and Painting.
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of the Arts and Architecture
Los Angeles, USA
Popular Courses – UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture offers programs in Art, Design Media Arts, and World Arts and Cultures/Dance.
- Tisch School of the Arts, New York University (NYU)
New York City, USA
Popular Courses – NYU Tisch School of the Arts offers programs in Film and Television, Dance, and Photography.
- University of Washington School of Art + Art History + Design
Seattle, USA
Popular Courses – This school provides programs in 3D4M: ceramics + glass + sculpture, Photomedia, and Industrial Design.
Central America
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México – Faculty of Arts and Design
Mexico City, Mexico
Popular Courses – Visual Arts, Design, Cinematography.
- University of Costa Rica – School of Fine Arts
San José, Costa Rica
Popular Courses – Painting, Sculpture, Art Education.
South America
- São Paulo State University – Institute of Arts
São Paulo, Brazil
Popular Courses – Visual Arts, Music, Scenography.
- National University of Colombia – Faculty of Arts
Bogotá, Colombia
Popular Courses – Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Music.
Europe
- Royal College of Art
London, UK
Popular Courses – Fine Art, Design Products, Curating Contemporary Art.
- Central Saint Martins
London, UK
Popular Courses – Fashion Communication, Product Design, Fine Art.
- École des Beaux-Arts
Paris, France
Popular Courses – Fine Arts, Graphic Arts, Multimedia.
- École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA)
Paris, France
Popular Courses – ENSBA, one of the oldest art schools, offers programs in Fine Arts, Sculpture, and Multimedia.
- Berlin University of the Arts
Berlin, Germany
Popular Courses – Visual Communication, Film and Television, Fine Arts.
- Politecnico di Milano – Design School
Milan, Italy
Popular Courses – Product Service System Design, Interior Design, Communication Design.
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
Antwerp, Belgium
Popular Courses – Known for its strong emphasis on craftsmanship, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp offers programs in Fine Arts, Fashion, and Photography.
- Goldsmiths, University of London
London, UK
Popular Courses – Goldsmiths is recognised for its contemporary and experimental approach to art education. Courses include Fine Art, Curating, and Digital Arts Computing.
- Camberwell College of Arts
London, UK
Popular Courses – A part of the University of the Arts London, Camberwell College of Arts specialises in courses such as Drawing, Illustration, and Graphic Design.
- Gerrit Rietveld Academie
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Popular Courses – This Dutch academy focuses on fine arts, design, and applied arts, with programs like Fine Arts, DesignLAB, and Photography.
- Chelsea College of Arts
London, UK
Popular Courses – Chelsea College of Arts, part of the University of the Arts London, offers courses in Fine Art, Graphic Design Communication, and Interior and Spatial Design.
- Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh, UK
Popular Courses – As part of the University of Edinburgh, this college provides programs in Architecture, Art, and Design.
- Städelschule
Frankfurt, Germany
Popular Courses – Städelschule offers a renowned fine arts program with a focus on contemporary art practices.
- Manchester School of Art
Manchester, UK
Popular Courses – This school offers courses in Fine Art, Illustration with Animation, and Interactive Arts.
- The Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow, UK
Popular Courses – Renowned for its avant-garde approach, GSA offers programs in Fine Art, Communication Design, and Environmental Art.
- Royal Institute of Art
Stockholm, Sweden
Popular Courses – Focused on fine arts, the Royal Institute of Art offers programs in Sculpture, Painting, and Printmaking.
- Lisbon Theatre and Film School
Lisbon, Portugal
Popular Courses – This school focuses on theatre and film, offering programs in Theatre, Film, and Cinema.
- University of the Arts Helsinki
Helsinki, Finland
Popular Courses – This university offers programs in Fine Arts, Film and Television, and Design.
- Kunsthochschule Kassel
Kassel, Germany
Popular Courses – Known for its art programs, this school offers courses in Fine Arts, Product Design, and Visual Communication.
- Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Popular Courses – KADK provides programs in Architecture, Design, and Fine Arts.
- Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) Offenbach
Offenbach, Germany
Popular Courses – Focused on design, HfG Offenbach offers programs in Exhibition Design, Communication Design, and Product Design.
- University of Industrial Arts Helsinki (UIAH)
Helsinki, Finland
Popular Courses – UIAH offers programs in Design, Film and Television, and Fine Arts.
- Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Glasgow, UK
Popular Courses – Specialising in performing arts, RCS offers programs in Music, Drama, and Production.
- Malmö Art Academy
Malmö, Sweden
Popular Courses – Malmö Art Academy provides programs in Fine Arts, Photography, and Critical and Pedagogical Studies.
- Belgrade University Faculty of Dramatic Arts
Belgrade, Serbia
Popular Courses – Focused on dramatic arts, this faculty offers programs in Acting, Directing, and Dramaturgy.
- University of Fine Arts
Hamburg, Germany
Popular Courses – Known for its fine arts programs, this university offers courses in Painting, Sculpture, and Media Arts.
- Escuela Superior de Cine y Audiovisuales de Cataluña (ESCAC)
Barcelona, Spain
Popular Courses – Specialised in cinema and audiovisuals, ESCAC offers programs in Film Directing, Cinematography, and Screenwriting.
- Bath School of Art and Design
Bath, UK
Popular Courses – Part of Bath Spa University, this school offers programs in Fine Art, Graphic Communication, and Photography.
- FAMU – Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Prague, Czech Republic
Popular Courses – FAMU offers programs in Film and Television, Animation, and Sound Design.
- Kolding School of Design
Kolding, Denmark
Popular Courses – Specialised in design, this school offers programs in Communication Design, Fashion Design, and Industrial Design.
- University of the Arts (UArts) London
London, UK
Popular Courses – UArts offers a diverse range of programs, including Fine Arts, Photography, and Illustration.
- Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Weimar, German
Popular Courses – Bauhaus-Universität Weimar provides programs in Media Art and Design, Product Design, and Visual Communication.
- L’Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO)
Paris, France
Popular Courses – Specialised in languages and cultures, INALCO offers programs in Arts, Literature, and Languages.
- Kingston University Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
London, UK
Popular Courses – Part of Kingston University, this faculty offers programs in Illustration Animation, Graphic Design, and Fine Art.
- Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Vienna, Austria
Popular Courses – The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna offers programs in Painting, Graphics, and Conservation and Restoration.
Asia
- Tokyo University of the Arts
Tokyo, Japan
Popular Courses – Painting, Sculpture, Crafts.
- China Academy of Art
Hangzhou, China
Popular Courses – Animation, Industrial Design, Calligraphy.
- Seoul National University – College of Fine Arts
Seoul, South Korea
Popular Courses – Visual Communication Design, Sculpture, Media Art.
- National Institute of Design
Ahmedabad, India
Popular Courses – Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, Exhibition Design.
- LASALLE College of the Arts
Singapore
Popular Courses – Fine Arts, Animation, Fashion Design.
- Kyoto City University of Arts
Kyoto, Japan
Popular Courses – Known for its traditional and contemporary arts programs, Kyoto City University of Arts offers courses in Painting, Sculpture, and Design.
- Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA)
Hong Kong
Popular Courses – HKAPA offers a range of programs in performing and visual arts, including Film and Television, Theatre and Entertainment Arts, and Fine Arts
- Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
Jerusalem, Israel
Popular Courses – Bezalel Academy offers programs in Fine Arts, Industrial Design, and Screen-Based Arts.
- Shanghai Theatre Academy
Shanghai, China
Popular Courses – Focused on theatre arts, this academy offers programs in Acting, Directing, and Stage Design.
- National Taiwan University of Arts
New Taipei City, Taiwan
Popular Courses – This university provides programs in Theatre Arts, Dance, and Fine Arts.
- Beijing Film Academy
Beijing, China
Popular Courses – Known for film education, this academy offers programs in Film Directing, Cinematography, and Editing.
- Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
Jerusalem, Israel
Popular Courses – Industrial Design, Visual Communication, Screen-Based Arts.
- American University of Beirut – Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Beirut, Lebanon
Popular Courses – Studio Arts, Art History, Media Studies.
Oceania
- University of Melbourne – Victorian College of the Arts
Melbourne, Australia
Popular Courses – Visual Art, Animation, Theatre Production.
- Elam School of Fine Arts – University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Popular Courses – Fine Arts, Photography, Sculpture.
- Curtin University School of Design and the Built Environment
Perth, Australia
Popular Courses – Focused on design and the built environment, Curtin University offers programs in Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Urban and Regional Planning.
Africa
- University of Cape Town – Michaelis School of Fine Art
Cape Town, South Africa
Popular Courses – Painting, New Media, Curatorship.
- Cairo University – Faculty of Fine Arts
Cairo, Egypt
Popular Courses – Graphic Design, Mural Painting, Ceramics.
This list of the top 80 art schools around the world should help you make your decision in choosing an art and design institute. These art schools and universities, with their unique approach and curriculum, contribute to the global industry of artistic education. Whether you’re drawn to traditional fine arts or cutting-edge design, these art schools offer a myriad of programs with courses that might help you hone your creative skills and design thinking.
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