Best Graphic Design Schools in North Carolina (2026)

Quick answer: Graphic designers in North Carolina earn a median of $58,450 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited graphic designer schools in North Carolina with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

If you want to train as a graphic designer in North Carolina, start by weighing program length, schedule, and cost at nearby schools. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $58,450 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

North Carolina Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$58,450BLS OEWS, May 2025
North Carolina pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$37,680 to $95,380BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying North Carolina metro for this fieldDurham, NC, $63,580BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+2.1% growth, about 20,000 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment5,660 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
North Carolina location quotient0.90BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Graphic designer Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the North Carolina figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 54 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Elon University

Elon, NC 47.9 miles away BOC Score 72.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 83.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 10
  • Annual completions: 222
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $77,800 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

High Point University

High Point, NC 40.0 miles away BOC Score 62.5
Tuition $45,312 - $65,548
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 75.3%
  • Graduation rate: 72.1%
  • Programs offered: 13
  • Annual completions: 307
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $65,028 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 42.4 miles away BOC Score 59.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 57.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 14
  • Annual completions: 331
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,594 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, NC 43.1 miles away BOC Score 55.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 56.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 18
  • Annual completions: 571
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,996 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem, NC 51.2 miles away BOC Score 52.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 601 S. Martin Luther King Jr Dr Winston-Salem, NC 27110-0001
  • (336) 750-2000
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 11
  • Annual completions: 185
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,396 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC 51.4 miles away BOC Score 52.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 31.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 62
  • Annual completions: 2058
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,625 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Randolph Community College

Asheboro, NC 15.7 miles away BOC Score 51.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 55.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 30
  • Annual completions: 822
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $39,546 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville, NC 53.8 miles away BOC Score 45.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 22.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 66
  • Annual completions: 4671
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,138 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

South Piedmont Community College

Polkton, NC 40.6 miles away BOC Score 45.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 36
  • Annual completions: 313
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,657 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Pfeiffer University

Misenheimer, NC 29.8 miles away BOC Score 44.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 38.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 51
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,619 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Greensboro College

Greensboro, NC 42.7 miles away BOC Score 38.3
Tuition $21,000 - $35,165
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 70.1%
  • Graduation rate: 43.2%
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 20
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,898 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Guilford Technical Community College

Jamestown, NC 38.7 miles away BOC Score 35.2
Tuition $2,320 - $20,529
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 31.2%
  • Programs offered: 72
  • Annual completions: 2212
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,924 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Graphic Designer Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Graphic Designers
Graphic Designers annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $39520, P25 $49040, P50 $62960, P75 $81830, P90 $104910.10th$39,52025th$49,04050th (median)$62,96075th$81,83090th$104,910
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Graphic Designers annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$39,520
25th$49,040
50th (median)$62,960
75th$81,830
90th$104,910
Projected employment growth, United States, Graphic Designers, 2024-2034
Graphic Designers employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 265900; 2034 projected employment 271500; percent change +2.1%.2024265,900 jobs2034 (proj.)271,500 jobsChange: +2.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Graphic Designers employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024265,900
2034 projected271,500
Percent change+2.1%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does graphic designer training take in North Carolina?

Graphic designer certificate programs in North Carolina typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do graphic designers earn in North Carolina?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), graphic designers in North Carolina earned a median annual wage of approximately $58,450. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $37,680 to $95,380 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many graphic designer schools are in North Carolina?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)