Best Graphic Design Schools Near Vancouver, WA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Vancouver, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs. Vancouver has a population of about 192,696. Median household income is $78,156 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $145,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Graphic Design Schools to Vancouver

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer graphic design programs near Vancouver, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Vancouver 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 Vancouver. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Clover Park Technical College

Lakewood, WA 106.6 miles from Vancouver
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
63.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,787
Avg net price $9,864/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,634
Out‑of‑state$6,634
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bates Technical College

Tacoma, WA 111.9 miles from Vancouver
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,051
Avg net price $6,292/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,027
Out‑of‑state$12,165
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Northwest College of Art & Design

Tacoma, WA 112.0 miles from Vancouver
  • 4 year
31.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,167
Avg net price $16,418/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 121.9 miles from Vancouver
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,869
Avg net price $9,879/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,772
Out‑of‑state$5,332
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Olympic College

Bremerton, WA 134.0 miles from Vancouver
  • 4 year
60.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,169
Avg net price $7,172/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bellevue College

Bellevue, WA 136.3 miles from Vancouver
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,310
Avg net price $11,430/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 137.0 miles from Vancouver
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,272
Avg net price $34,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA 137.5 miles from Vancouver
  • 4 year
55.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,307
Avg net price $8,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Graphic Design Wages Near Vancouver

Vancouver is part of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area (BLS area code 38900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Graphic Designer $75,650 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $71,774
Art Director $145,410 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $137,960
Web and Digital Interface Designer $120,640 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $114,459
Special Effects Artist and Animator $133,480 WA statewide $126,641

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.

Vancouver at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 192,696 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $78,156 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Vancouver-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited graphic design schools are near Vancouver, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Vancouver. The closest is Clark College in Vancouver, WA (2.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Reed College (10.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Vancouver are: Art Director ($145,410), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($133,480), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($120,640). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Portland instead of Vancouver?

Portland, OR is 7.2 miles from Vancouver 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 Vancouver an affordable place to study graphic design?

Vancouver’s median household income of $78,156 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Vancouver while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Vancouver

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Graphic Design Schools in Washington (2026)