When searching for the cheapest online graphic design degrees, it is important to compare not only the cost of programs, but the added technological resources, internships, specialized courses, and other beneficial offerings from schools. Marketing and advertising systems in the United States are propelled by visual concepts captivating consumers and created by dedicated graphic designers. This strongly artistic field requires knowledge in various computer software systems along with the talent and drive to create. Those engaged in photography, film and media, digital media, and visual communication require a professional portfolio to enter careers in writing, marketing, business, promotion, and other lucrative professions.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median range salary for the graphic designer was $50,370 in 2018. With a 3 percent increase in job growth over the next 8 years, graphic design or communication designer occupations maintain a fairly competitive outlook. In order to balance expected salary with student debt, consider our list of the most affordable online graphic design degree programs. GetEducated has surveyed 38 online bachelor’s degree graphic design options from 19 regionally accredited schools to fill this “Best Buy” list. These rankings represent the cheapest online graphic design degree options available to future students throughout the US. With a tuition difference of up to $135,300, it is essential to become an informed consumer before making one of the largest financial decisions of a lifetime.
ARTICLE NAVIGATION: Rankings Table | Career Guide
Average Cost (In-state): ~$72,100
Least Expensive: University of Florida ~ $15,501.60
Most Expensive: Savannah College of Art and Design ~ $150,800.00
Our data-driven research creates a truly reliable system of scientific rankings. There are no fancy formulas here. We meticulously calculate total full-time tuition—including any fees—for the most accurate total cost. Our rankings cannot be bought, and therefore factually showcase the cheapest online graphic design degree options at the bachelor’s level. The top online graphic design degrees listed above the gray dividing line are official 2020 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
15 Cheapest Online Graphic Design Degree Programs
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | University of Florida | (FL) | $15,501.60 $66,314.40 | In-State Out-of-State |
2 | Arkansas State University | (AR) | $31,020.00 | All Students |
3 | University of Maryland Global Campus | (MD) | $37,850.00 $61,730.00 $30,050.00 | In-State Out-of-State Military |
4 | Granite State College (part of University of New Hampshire) Bachelor of Science in Digital Media 14 | (NH) | $38,360.00 $44,480.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
5 |  Southern New Hampshire University Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design & Media Arts / 3-D Modeling & Animation 14 | (NH) | $38,550.00 $27,150.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
6 | Liberty University | (VA) | $48,492.00 $30,100.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
7 | Southeastern University | (FL) | $49,200.00 | All Students |
8 | Regent University | (VA) | $51,800.00 $34,400.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
9 | Kentucky Wesleyan College | (KY) | $55,160.00 | All Students |
10 | Bellevue University | (NE) | $55,875.00 $33,650.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
11 | Upper Iowa University | (IA) | $56,590.00 $30,070.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
12 | Pennsylvania State University | (PA) | $58,172.00 | All Students |
13 | National University (School Merged) Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media Design 14 | (CA) | $66,700.00 | All Students |
14 | Maryville University | (MO) | $66,800.00 | All Students |
15 | Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design | (CO) | $70,914.00 | All Students |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
California Baptist University | (CA) | $78,161.00 | All Students | |
Academy of Art University Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation & Visual Effects Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Bachelor of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures & Television Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Development | (CA) | $127,661.00 | All Students | |
Savannah College of Art and Design | (GA) | $150,800.00 | All Students |
Program Note: To qualify for a ranking, the affordable online graphic design degree program must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table. Degrees labeled with superscript 14 indicate that the program is no longer accepting new students.
NASAD National Association of Schools of Art and Design
Rankings Note: These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Winter/Spring 2020 review of regionally accredited online bachelor’s degree programs in graphic design. Total cost includes full-time tuition and fees and was valid at the time of collection and specific to the online learning program. School profiles for the online bachelor degree programs in our directory may reflect a slightly different cost based on different editorial update schedules. The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online graphic design degree including fees. Actual costs may vary by student. Factors such as transfer credits, prerequisite courses, professional licensing and financial aid availability will affect final cost.
Editorial Note: Online schools do NOT pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking. These rankings are editorially independent, open to any regionally accredited or candidate college that offers an affordable online graphic design degree that is available at least 80 percent through online learning and that is open to enrollment by the public. If your online college is regionally accredited and not currently reviewed by GetEducated, please contact us for inclusion.
These rankings of the cheapest online graphic design degrees may NOT be re-posted online or reprinted in any format without a license from GetEducated ®. Consumer finance bloggers and writers can contact our editors for a free custom article on the best online bachelor’s degree graphic design programs for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.
Cheapest Online Graphic Design Degree Programs: How to Choose
From cave paintings to data-rich infographics, visual storytelling has been a part of the human experience for millennia. Today, graphic designers use colors, shapes, imagery, and symbols to create advertisements, websites, posters, infographics, and more.
The top cheapest online graphic design degree programs build a professional’s creative skills and enhance their technical capability with graphics software and artistic principles. Part art degree, part software training, these programs are perfect for people interested in visual storytelling, art, and technology.
What to Expect from an Affordable Online Graphic Design Degree
The best online graphic design degrees will include a combination of creative and artistic courses with the technical knowledge required to create visual displays. Students will not only study graphic software, they will learn fundamental principles of visual art, such as color, image balance, tone, and more.
These are bachelor’s programs, which means at least 120 credit hours to complete. In most cases, they require four years of academic study, which will include general education classes such as math, science, literature, history, and the humanities, as well as core classes, which focus specifically on graphic design.
The top graphic design bachelor degree online programs generally focus on the same subjects, but there is variation. They fall under titles like “Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Communication,” “Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design,” and “Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media Design.”
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts?
In this list, you’ll find “bachelor of arts” as well as “bachelor of fine arts” programs. They may seem similar, but they have important differences.
A bachelor of arts can apply to virtually any type of academic discipline. For example, there are bachelor of arts degrees in journalism, history, sciences, and English. However, a bachelor of fine arts applies specifically to an artistic practice. You’ll find bachelor of fine arts in painting, sculpture, theater, dance, and more.
A bachelor of arts usually includes more study in the liberal arts. This may include history, math, literature, and science. However, roughly half to two-thirds of a fine arts degree is focused specifically on the artistic practice. For example, the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphics Design from Liberty University requires 71 core credits, out of 120, that are specific to the concentration.
Other Degree Options: Business, Science, and More
There are other options as well. The cheapest online graphic design degree options include bachelor of business administration degrees, which focus on business with an emphasis on graphics communication. There are also “bachelor of science” degrees, which focus more on building technical skills, such as working with a specific software to create graphic communications.
Typical Courses in the Best Online Graphic Design Degrees
In all of the cheapest online graphic design degrees, you’ll take general education classes, which include classic academic subjects such as math, science, and history. You’ll also have a group of “core” classes, which are specific to graphics design and graphic communication. To better understand the various classes, let’s look at three different programs and the courses included in these online graphic design bachelor’s degrees.
Bellevue University – Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
This is an affordable graphic design bachelor degree online program that takes a typical approach to the concentration. The core curriculum includes 49 required credit hours from the graphics design major. Courses include “History of Contemporary Graphic Design,” “Interactivity Basics,” and “Web Page Design.”
Regent University – Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Arts
This bachelor of fine arts takes a more detailed approach to graphics design. The program requires 71 credit hours in the core concentration, which means students spend less time in general studies and more time focusing on graphics design. Core requirements include “Fundamentals of Design,” “Digital Illustration,” and “Publication Design.”
Southeastern University – Bachelor of Business Administration / Marketing Communication
This is a business degree with a concentration on marketing and communication. The foundational core requires 56 total credit hours, which include history, culture, and business pre-core. The business core encompasses 28 credit hours and holds classes like “Global Business Management” and “Essentials of Business Law.” The marketing and communication core requires the completion of “Digital Layout and Design,” “Digital Marketing and Analytics,” and “Web Design and Development.”
Are the Cheapest Online Graphic Design Degrees Accredited?
Accreditation, which is the process of reviewing and approving a school and program, is granted to whole institutions as well as specific programs. Institutional accreditation comes from regional groups such as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
Programmatic accreditation is completed by groups that focus on a specific type of degree. For example, American Library Association Committee on Accreditation (ALA-CoA) accredits programs in library and information studies. Regional accreditation is required for your degree to be well-respected by employers. Programmatic accreditation is an additional bonus and provides an extra seal of prestige.
While all of the cheapest online graphic design degree programs in our database (and on this list) come from regionally-accredited programs, only one holds programmatic accreditation. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Media from Maryville University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). This organization focuses on artistic and design degrees, with less emphasis on technology, software, and graphics.
Admission Requirements for the Best Online Graphic Design Degrees
The minimum requirement for a bachelor’s degree is a high school diploma. If you have not fulfilled this requirement, there are online options that allow you to complete a GED program. Once complete, you can begin the process of enrollment in one of the best graphic design bachelor degree online programs.
While the admission requirements are fairly light, they can be complex and confusing, largely because each program has its own requirements. Most require applicants to submit high school transcripts, which should include a GPA from previous studies. If the school has a minimum GPA requirement, it’s often 2.0 to 2.5, while some may require a GPA as high as 2.75, which is about a B- average.
For example, California Baptist University, which offers the Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design & Digital Media, requires a 2.0 GPA.
Exams like the SATs and ACTs are used to gauge a student’s college readiness. They are often used for placement, and rarely determine whether or not an applicant is accepted into a program. Liberty University, for example, does not require these tests but may use them for merit-based aid.
Most colleges take each applicant on a case-by-case basis. They often have no set of minimum requirements, but instead look at each applicant to determine whether or not that person should be enrolled in their programs.
Students with a decent academic record can be confident they will find a graphics design program that fits their needs and accepts their application.
How Much is A Graphic Design Degree Online?
The average cost for these graphic design bachelor’s degrees, which usually require four years to complete, is $72,100. If we assume four years of study, a student needs $18,025 per year to complete the average degree.
This is higher than the average for many other degrees. (The average for a bachelor’s degree in English, for example, was $47,200, while the average for a bachelor’s in science and math was $47,600.) Why are these degrees more expensive on average? It could be because the average is weighted by high-cost degrees. While ten programs cost less than $40,000, the most expensive program costs over $150,000. (Savannah College of Art and Design, $150,800 for a Bachelor of Arts or Fine Arts.)
The cheapest graphic design bachelor degree online program is from the University of Florida. Their Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts & Sciences only costs $15,501.60 for in-state students. This means students can complete the degree with only $3,875.25 per year.
Licensing & Certification
Most people who graduate from a top graphic design bachelor degree online program will work as a graphic designer of some kind. One of the benefits of this career is that there are no licensing requirements. There is no license required by either states or the federal government, so entering the career is easy once you have the required skills.
Certifications, however, can boost a graphics design career, but the system is different than other occupations. For most occupations, certification comes through independent industry organizations and associations. For example, a technical writer can become certified through the Society for Technical Communication. For graphics designers, certifications often come from software companies. For example, Adobe offers various professional certifications in Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign. These professional certifications increase a designer’s knowledge and demonstrate proficiency with a variety of tools.
Salary & Career Outlook
After completing an affordable graphic design bachelor degree online, students will be ready for a career as a graphics designer. With experience, dedication, and organizational talent, they could eventually become an art director.
Graphic Designer
Graphics designers are employed across the U.S., using their skills to create visual concepts that communicate, inform, and entertain. They often work in advertisement and media, and a sizable portion (19%) are self-employed.
The pay for this career is decent if not exceptional. The median income for this career in May of 2021 was $50,710, which is roughly $5,000 more than the U.S. median for all occupations. Designers working for specialized design services have a median income of $58,610, while the top 10% in this profession earn over $98,260 annually.
This occupation is expected to grow by 3% between 2021 and 2031. This is less than the expected growth of all occupations, which is 5%. This limited growth is predicted because a decline in print media will reduce their need for graphics and digital designs.
Art Directors
Art directors are essentially the managers and leaders responsible for the visual style and layout of magazines, newspapers, and advertisements. Overseeing the work of multiple artists, these professionals create plans and determine staffing needs for art-based marketing projects.
Although they need at least five years of experience, these professionals are well paid. The median salary is $100,890, and the top 10% earn over $194,000 annually. Many are self-employed; the BLS says that 64% are “self-employed workers.”
Next Step in the Education of a Graphic Designer
The typical minimum education for a graphics designer is a bachelor’s degree, so once you complete an affordable graphic design bachelor degree online program, you’ll have the required skills to work in this career.
The next step in the academic ladder is a master’s degree. However, this advanced education is rarely required for most graphic-design careers.
It’s more common for graphics designers to complete short continuing education courses and programs, allowing them to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in software and techniques. Because this is an ever-evolving trade, graphics designers often work with organizations like the American Institute of Graphic Arts, which offers certifications, classes, and resources.
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