Berkeley, California has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $16,347 to $50,547 per year for indexed programs. Berkeley has a population of about 120,223. Median household income is $108,558 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 75.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $165,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Graphic Design Schools to Berkeley
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer graphic design programs near Berkeley, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Berkeley city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Berkeley.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,446
Avg net price
$13,481/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 5
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California graphic design page.
Graphic Design Wages Near Berkeley
Berkeley is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Graphic Designer | $92,050 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $79,628 |
| Art Director | $165,210 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $142,915 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designer | $163,810 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $141,704 |
| Special Effects Artist and Animator | $136,770 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $118,313 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Berkeley at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 120,223 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $108,558 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 75.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 115.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Berkeley-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs
- El Cerrito, CA – 3.6 mi away (25,400 pop)
- Richmond, CA – 6.2 mi away (109,813 pop)
- Oakland, CA – 6.5 mi away (420,005 pop)
- San Pablo, CA – 7.2 mi away (30,536 pop)
- Alameda, CA – 7.3 mi away (78,906 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited graphic design schools are near Berkeley, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Berkeley. The closest is Berkeley City College in Berkeley, CA (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Contra Costa College (7.5 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying graphic design roles near Berkeley?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Berkeley are: Art Director ($165,210), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($163,810), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($136,770). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in El Cerrito instead of Berkeley?
El Cerrito, CA is 3.6 miles from Berkeley and has its own set of local graphic design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Berkeley an affordable place to study graphic design?
Berkeley’s median household income of $108,558 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Berkeley while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Graphic Design Programs
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Data verified: August 10, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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