Best Graphic Design Schools in Washington (2026)

Quick answer: Graphic designers in Washington earn a median of $72,710 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited graphic designer schools in Washington with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

This guide rounds up graphic designer schools serving Washington and the local job-market figures worth checking first. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $72,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Washington Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$72,710BLS OEWS, May 2025
Washington pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$47,780 to $115,210BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Washington metro for this fieldSeattle, WA, $76,720BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+2.1% growth, about 20,000 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment3,960 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Washington location quotient0.88BLS 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 Washington 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 65 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

Bellevue College

Bellevue, WA 58.4 miles away BOC Score 73.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 34.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 42
  • Annual completions: 688
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,079 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Kirkland, WA 64.5 miles away BOC Score 68.9
Tuition $5,997 - $16,339
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 38.3%
  • Programs offered: 53
  • Annual completions: 878
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,891 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Tacoma Community College

Tacoma, WA 65.3 miles away BOC Score 68.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 32.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 27
  • Annual completions: 911
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,189 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 57.9 miles away BOC Score 68.6
Tuition $4,772 - $18,812
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 37.2%
  • Programs offered: 39
  • Annual completions: 392
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,261 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Clover Park Technical College

Lakewood, WA 63.3 miles away BOC Score 63.9
Tuition $6,634 - $18,882
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 41.8%
  • Programs offered: 61
  • Annual completions: 1796
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,699 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA 29.7 miles away BOC Score 60.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 51.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 22
  • Annual completions: 726
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,444 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA 63.4 miles away BOC Score 57.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 68.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 92
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,684 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Yakima Valley College

Yakima, WA 44.8 miles away BOC Score 55.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 31.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 60
  • Annual completions: 325
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,006 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Wenatchee Valley College

Wenatchee, WA 46.1 miles away BOC Score 54.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 41.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 35
  • Annual completions: 139
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,108 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

South Seattle College

Seattle, WA 65.1 miles away BOC Score 47.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 29.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 37
  • Annual completions: 877
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,142 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Northwest College of Art & Design

Tacoma, WA 61.4 miles away BOC Score 31.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 47.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 25
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,490 (College Scorecard)

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 Washington?

Graphic designer certificate programs in Washington 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 Washington?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), graphic designers in Washington earned a median annual wage of approximately $72,710. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $47,780 to $115,210 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many graphic designer schools are in Washington?

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)