Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

23 Best Universities in California for Graphic Design

Focusing specifically on Graphic Design, our data science engine identified the 23 most influential universities in California. To determine these leaders, we isolated 3.19M specialized research publications which collectively generated 161.7M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

Berkeley

University of California – Berkeley

For Graphic Design

#9 in United States #9 in North America

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

2

Stanford

Stanford University

For Graphic Design

#11 in United States #11 in North America

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

3

San Diego

University of California-San Diego

For Graphic Design

#12 in United States #13 in North America

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

4

Santa Barbara

University of California – Santa Barbara

For Graphic Design

#14 in United States #15 in North America

33% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

5

Los Angeles

University of Southern California

For Graphic Design

#16 in United States #17 in North America

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

6

Los Angeles

University of California – Los Angeles

For Graphic Design

#28 in United States #31 in North America

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

7

Irvine

University of California – Irvine

For Graphic Design

#40 in United States #47 in North America

29% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

8

San Diego

San Diego State University

For Graphic Design

#43 in United States #50 in North America

36% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1897 Founded

9

Davis

University of California – Davis

For Graphic Design

#51 in United States #59 in North America

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

10

Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

For Graphic Design

#56 in United States #64 in North America

3% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

11

San Francisco

University of California – San Francisco

For Graphic Design

#104 in United States #119 in North America

13% Acceptance

2,942 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

12

Santa Cruz

University of California – Santa Cruz

For Graphic Design

#113 in United States #131 in North America

66% Acceptance

45,882 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

13

Riverside

University of California – Riverside

For Graphic Design

#120 in United States #138 in North America

76% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1954 Founded

14

Monterey

Naval Postgraduate School

For Graphic Design

#182 in United States #209 in North America

23% Acceptance

837 Enrollment

1335 Avg SAT

1909 Founded

15

Turlock

California State University – Stanislaus

For Graphic Design

#190 in United States #218 in North America

98% Acceptance

15,257 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

16

San Bernardino

California State University – San Bernardino

For Graphic Design

#229 in United States #260 in North America

94% Acceptance

16,237 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

17

Los Angeles

California State University – Los Angeles

For Graphic Design

#225 in United States #256 in North America

91% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1947 Founded

18

San Diego

University of San Diego

For Graphic Design

#197 in United States #225 in North America

52% Acceptance

18,492 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1949 Founded

19

Fullerton

California State University – Fullerton

For Graphic Design

#193 in United States #221 in North America

91% Acceptance

42,003 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1957 Founded

20

Long Beach, CA

California State University – Long Beach

For Graphic Design

#224 in United States #254 in North America

46% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

1350 Avg SAT

1949 Founded

21

San Luis Obispo

California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo

For Graphic Design

#216 in United States #246 in North America

31% Acceptance

27,636 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1901 Founded

22

San Francisco

San Francisco State University

For Graphic Design

#221 in United States #251 in North America

96% Acceptance

5,891 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

23

San Jose, CA

San Jose State University

For Graphic Design

#125 in United States #144 in North America

85% Acceptance

22,563 Enrollment

1420 Avg SAT

1857 Founded