That being said, “ART SCHOOL AIN’T CHEAP.” Ultimately, the end cost depends on where you attend and that goes back to the original question of your level of passion for the field. The costs can be intimidating, but the bottom line is that you are going to be making either a small investment or a large one. That investment is YOU.
Associates degrees, diplomas and certificates in graphic design can usually be acquired by attending a two-year college. Community colleges or vocational/technical schools offer these degrees with some of the lower end costs in tuition, usually ranging from $5000 to $10,000 per year.Four-year design schools are on the more exspensive side of the realm ranging from $17,000 to as high as $50,000 per year in tuition. And you can’t forget the supply costs that are not factored into that tuition. By senior year, the cost of supplies for a student could be well into the thousands. However, financial aid is always available not to mention scholarships and rewards that can dramatically lower the costs. Depending on your previous talent, having an outstanding portfolio could very well knock off a whole year’s worth of tuition.
But looking past that, its within these expensive, yet specialized schools that you can take your “investment” and really build a solid base for your future within graphic design as these schools offer more narrowed down design instruction as well as others like history, business, and writing which relate to the industry. Within the programs themselves are groups and organizations that evolve and network amongst each other. They form a strong ring that even breaks outside of the program and reaches to both local and distant businesses and firms, sometimes through faculty but more importantly—alumni.
So think about it. Graphic design isn’t easy and, when taking it seriously, isn't cheap either. But don’t let the dark cloud of debt hide the shine that is you. It’s a scary world out there, but remember… you’re not alone. Invest in yourself. The greatest rewards are those that are earned with hard work and determination.
Kyle –
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing on such a timely topic. I have a few suggestions about grammar/writing style:
First, make sure to err on the side of professional language rather than colloquialisms. For example, instead of saying “one thing you got to ask yourself” (paragraph 1), just say “one thing you need to ask yourself”.
Second, be sure to run spellcheck and proofread – for example, your sentence here needs a space at the beginning, expensive is misspelled, and realm needs a comma after it: “Four-year design schools are on the more (expensive) side of the realm(,) ranging…”
This chunk of text could probably be split into two sentences, and could use some commas:
But looking past that, it(‘)s within these expensive, yet specialized schools that you can take your “investment” and really build a solid base for your future within graphic design(.) (These) schools offer more narrowed down design instruction as well as others like history, business, and writing(,) which relate to the industry.
Another important note: watch your contractions. Look back and make sure you switch them accordingly (spellcheck won’t catch them):
Your = belonging to you
You’re = you are
Its = belonging to it
It’s = it is
I think the advice you offer is good for incoming students; perhaps you can inject a little more personal experience (i.e., how you arrived at your decision to be a designer and how you weighed the pros and cons) to make a more authentic connection with the reader.