Irvine, California has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $49,922 per year for indexed programs. Irvine has a population of about 308,160. Median household income is $129,647 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $137,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Graphic Design Schools to Irvine
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer graphic design programs near Irvine, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Irvine 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 Irvine.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,156
Avg net price
$2,090/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,156
Out‑of‑state$11,860
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,083
Avg net price
$28,115/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 21
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California graphic design page.
Graphic Design Wages Near Irvine
Irvine is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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 | $72,400 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $63,732 |
| Art Director | $137,560 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $121,092 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designer | $106,550 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $93,794 |
| Special Effects Artist and Animator | $124,590 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $109,674 |
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.
Irvine at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 308,160 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $129,647 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 70.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 113.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Irvine-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs
- Tustin, CA – 4.3 mi away (80,395 pop)
- Lake Forest, CA – 6.0 mi away (83,240 pop)
- Newport Beach, CA – 6.9 mi away (86,688 pop)
- Aliso Viejo, CA – 7.2 mi away (51,424 pop)
- Laguna Hills, CA – 7.3 mi away (31,509 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited graphic design schools are near Irvine, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Irvine. The closest is Irvine Valley College in Irvine, CA (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Irvine (4.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying graphic design roles near Irvine?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Irvine are: Art Director ($137,560), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($124,590), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($106,550). 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 Tustin instead of Irvine?
Tustin, CA is 4.3 miles from Irvine 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 Irvine an affordable place to study graphic design?
Irvine’s median household income of $129,647 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Irvine 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: July 30, 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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