Best Online Graphic Design Programs in Syracuse, NY (2026)

Syracuse, New York has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $8,874 to $28,108 per year for indexed programs. Syracuse has a population of about 146,211. Median household income is $45,845 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Syracuse, NY metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $118,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Syracuse

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer graphic design programs near Syracuse, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Syracuse 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:

  • 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 Syracuse. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 0.3 miles from Syracuse BOC Score 74.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Onondaga Community College

Syracuse, NY 3.6 miles from Syracuse BOC Score 33.0
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,190
Avg net price $8,562/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all New York schools on the New York graphic design page.


Graphic Design Wages Near Syracuse

Syracuse is part of the Syracuse, NY metro area (BLS area code 45060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Graphic Designer$52,390Syracuse, NY$54,744
Art Director$118,560Syracuse, NY$123,887
Web and Digital Interface Designer$80,710Syracuse, NY$84,336
Special Effects Artist and Animator$96,770NY statewide$101,118

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.


Syracuse at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population146,211Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$45,845Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Syracuse-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited graphic design schools are near Syracuse, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Syracuse. The closest is Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is State University of New York at Cortland (30.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying graphic design roles near Syracuse?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Syracuse are: Art Director ($118,560), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($96,770), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($80,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Auburn instead of Syracuse?

Auburn, NY is 22.7 miles from Syracuse 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 Syracuse an affordable place to study graphic design?

Syracuse’s median household income of $45,845 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Syracuse while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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

Other Programs Available in Syracuse

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Syracuse:

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.