CREATIVE PROGRAMS
Whether you're a student, educator, parent, or professional exploring pathways into the creative economy, this directory is designed to help you navigate some of the most exceptional creative educational programs in the United States. From groundbreaking design and media arts programs to world-class conservatories for music, theater, and fashion, each institution listed here has earned national recognition for its commitment to cultivating creative excellence and preparing students for dynamic careers across industries.
We’ve organized this guide by state for easy reference, and included key areas of focus and links to each program. Use this resource as a starting point for deeper research, or to inspire your next step in pursuing a creative education in your area that aligns with your passion, values, and ambition.
If you think your institution should be added to this list, let us know! Send us a message!
California
Academy of Art University
San Francisco
Fashion, acting, production design, animation, concept art
Otis College of
Art and Design
Los Angeles
Fashion design, digital media, product and environmental design
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)
Valencia
Experimental animation, theater, music, interdisciplinary art
Stanford University - d.school
Stanford
Design thinking, creative strategy, interdisciplinary innovation (graduate only)
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM)
Los Angeles
Fashion design, styling, costume, product development
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Los Angeles
Theater, film, performance, media design
USC Iovine and Young Academy
Los Angeles
Design, technology, business, entrepreneurship (B.S. & M.S.)
Connecticut
Yale School of Art
New Haven
Painting, photography, sculpture, graphic design (MFA)
David Geffen School of Drama at Yale
New Haven
Experimental animation, theater, music, interdisciplinary art
Florida
Florida State University
Tallahassee
Acting, musical theater, theater design, fashion merchandising
Miami Dade College
Miami
Fashion design, visual communication, production
University of Central Florida
Orlando
Musical theater, digital media, design and production
University of Florida
Gainesville
Theater, arts administration, interdisciplinary visual arts
Frost School of Music at University of Miami
Coral Gables
Classical music, jazz, vocal performance, stage management, acting
Georgia
Illinois
Maryland
Savannah College
of Art and Design
Savannah
Fashion, immersive reality, UX, performing arts, branded environments
School of the
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago
Experimental animation, theater, music, interdisciplinary art
Maryland Institute
College of Art
Baltimore
Illustration, graphic design, community arts, creative entrepreneurship
Massachusetts
Berklee College of Music/Boston Conservatory
Boston
Music, dance, musical theater, songwriting, music business
Harvard Graduate School of Design
Cambridge
Architecture, urban design, design research (graduate)
Massachusetts College of
Art and Design (MassArt)
Boston
Fashion design, studio arts, illustration, fine arts
MIT Media Lab
Cambridge
Creative tech, media design, human-computer interaction, storytelling innovation (graduate)
Nebraska
Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts
Lincoln
Storytelling, immersive media, code, design, virtual production
New York
Columbia University School of the Arts
New York
Visual arts, writing, sound art, film (graduate)
New York University
Tisch School of the Arts
New York
Acting, musical theater, film, performance, media production
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
New York
Fashion design, marketing, textiles, fashion business
Parsons School of Design at The New School
New York
Fashion, strategic design, design thinking, sustainability
Julliard School
New York
Classical music, acting, vocal arts, dance, drama (conservatory)
Pratt Institute
Brooklyn
Industrial design, digital arts, creative direction, architecture
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston-Salem
Acting, directing, design/production, filmmaking, music
Kent State University
School of Fashion
Kent
Fashion design, merchandising, international industry partnerships
Carnegie Mellon University School of Design
Pittsburgh
UX, systems design, performance
Rhode Island
Texas
Washington DC
Rhode Island
School of Design
Providence
Visual arts, fashion, design, animation, printmaking
University of North Texas College of Visual Arts & Design
Denton
Fashion design, textiles, fibers, design research
Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at George Washington University
Washington DC
Interdisciplinary design, photojournalism, museum studies, theater