Best Art and Design colleges in the U.S.

Since 1965, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts has been educating artists and scholars alike on cinema studies, television, dance, drama, photography and more. NYU undoubtedly attracts talented student artists from around the world. The learning opportunities that Tisch provides to budding artists goes beyond New York City. In addition to the school’s six New York City locations—including 721 Broadway, 111 Second Avenue, and 194 Mercer—Tisch has expanded its reach around the globe. In 2007, Tisch School of the Arts Asia opened in Singapore with an inaugural film master’s degree program. Since that time, Tisch Asia has added animation and digital arts, dramatic writing, and international media producing programs. In addition, through the NYU Global Network, students in London, Prague, and Shanghai can enroll in Tisch courses. In 2012, Tisch opened the NYU Game Center to give students interested in becoming game developers, designers, and even critics, the education they need to reach their career goals. Through its bachelor’s and master’s game design program, the Center teaches students how to integrate animation, writing, and audio to create games that can be used for education or entertainment. In addition, NYU hosts the Game Center Student Show, where students show off the projects they created during their studies. Some exhibited projects include 3D animations, multiplayer games, surrealist game art, and card and board games.

Whoever came up with the saying “location, location, location” must have been talking about USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Situated in the heart of Los Angeles, the university is near the corporate offices and production facilities of major motion picture, television, and interactive companies. This proximity helps to connect you to awesome internships and allows industry notables to drop in on classes. The school also is notorious for its help-a-fellow-Trojan mindset, allowing students remarkable access to alumni working in the area. Brian Grazer, George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, Judd Apatow, and Will Ferrell are just a few of the well-known graduates. Though it has the distinction of being the oldest film school in the nation (it was founded in 1929 in collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), USC’s School of Cinematic Arts is a mecca of state-of-the-art facilities that support the philosophy that people learn best by doing. Undergraduate programs include animation and digital arts, interactive entertainment, media arts and practice, writing for screen and television, film and television production, and critical studies. The school also awards a variety of master’s degrees and doctorates.

If music is your forte, make your debut at UNT’s College of Music. You’ll learn from distinguished faculty members who have received international recognition and Grammy awards, like professor and professional opera singer Molly Filmore. Students who want to build their repertoire can take their talents to the stage and the community. For example, if you’re planning to become a music educator, you can put your teaching skills to the test by giving lessons to kids at local schools or helping out with Instrument Petting Zoo. No ponies or alpacas here! This event is all about introducing kids to instruments by showing them how to strum guitars and toot tubas. Dreaming to play for live audiences someday? Nail an audition for one of the 70 ensembles like the UNT Symphony Orchestra and you could perform for hundreds at the Murchison Performing Arts Center. UNT also offers degrees in composition, conducting, history, and theory, so you have lots of ways to orchestrate your ideal music career.