Design programs

NASAD accredits approximately 248 institutions located throughout the United States. To be an accredited member of NASAD, an institution must demonstrate to peer reviewers that it meets and maintains basic threshold standards outlined in the NASAD Handbook. Thus, NASAD institutional Membership provides an assurance that each accredited institution has implemented all standards of the Association applicable to the art and design programs it offers.

Although the Association provides a list of accredited institutional members that have met its published standards, it, like all other accrediting bodies, does not rank institutions or programs.

Rankings can be useful in a variety of contexts. However, it should be understood that rankings usually represent a compilation of subjective opinions about an institution's past achievements rather than an in-depth review of its total capacity for quality work. When considering the results of any ranking, it is important to know who was asked what, by whom, and for what purpose. Further, institutions vary widely in their purposes and priorities. Rankings that attempt to cover a broad range of institutions or programs may be comparing apples and oranges. The best schools appearing on any particular list thus may or may not be the best schools for the development of a particular individual.

Below is a list of accredited institutional members.

Academy of Art University
American Film Institute
Appalachian State University
Arcadia University
Arizona State University
Arkansas State University
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Art Center College of Design
Art Institute of Atlanta
Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University
Auburn University
Augusta State University
Austin Peay State University
Ball State University
Belhaven College
Belmont University
Biola University
Boise State University
Bowling Green State University
Bradley University
Brigham Young University
Bucks County Community College
Buffalo State College
California College of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State University, Chico
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, San Bernardino
California State University, Stanislaus
Carnegie Mellon University (School of Art)
Carnegie Mellon University (School of Design)
Carson-Newman College
Casper College
Central Michigan University
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Clemson University
Cleveland Institute of Art
Coastal Carolina University
College for Creative Studies
College of Saint Rose
Columbia College
Columbus College of Art and Design
Columbus State University
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Corcoran College of Art and Design
Cornish College of the Arts
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Del Mar College
Delta State University
Drake University
Drexel University
East Carolina University
East Tennessee State University
Eastern Illinois University
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Emporia State University
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Orange County
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, San Diego
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, San Francisco
Fashion Institute of Technology
Florida International University
Florida State University
Francis Marion University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern University
Georgia State University
Grand Valley State University
Harrington College of Design
Hartford Art School
Hartwick College
Herron School of Art and Design
Hope College
Howard University
Humboldt State University
Illinois State University
Indiana State University
Indiana University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Institute of American Indian Arts
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Columbus
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, North Central
Jackson State University
Jacksonville State University
James Madison University
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas State University
Kean University
Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
Kennesaw State University
Kent State University
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
La Roche College
Laguna College of Art and Design
Lander University
Lawrence Technological University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana Tech University
Loyola Marymount University
Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
Maine College of Art
Maryland Institute College of Art
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Marywood University
Massachusetts College of Art
Memphis College of Art
Mercy College
Messiah College
Metropolitan State College of Denver
Miami University
Millersville University
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minnesota State University Mankato
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Mississippi State University
Mississippi University for Women
Mississippi Valley State University
Montana State University - Billings
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montclair State University
Montserrat College of Art
Moore College of Art and Design
Mount Ida College
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
Murray State University
New England School of Art and Design at Suffolk University
New Hampshire Institute of Art
New Jersey City University
New World School of the Arts
New York Film Academy, London
New York Film Academy, Los Angeles
New York Film Academy, New York
New York School of Interior Design
New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University
Nicholls State University
North Carolina State University (Department of Graphic Design)
North Carolina State University (Department of Industrial Desig
North Dakota State University
Northern Illinois University
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Old Dominion University
Oregon College of Art and Craft
Otis College of Art and Design
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Parsons Paris School of Design
Parsons the New School for Design
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
Pennsylvania State University
Philadelphia University
Photographic Center Northwest
Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Inc.
Portland State University
Pratt Institute
Purchase College, State University of New York
Purdue University
Rhode Island College
Rhode Island School of Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
Roberts Wesleyan College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology, National Technical Institute
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rowan University
Sage College of Albany
Saint Cloud State University
Saint John's University
Saint Louis Community College at Florissant Valley
Saint Louis Community College at Meramec
Saint Mary's College
Salem State College
Salve Regina University
San Diego State University
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
School of Visual Arts
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Siena Heights University
Sinclair Community College
Skidmore College
Slippery Rock University
Sonoma State University
Sotheby's Institute of Art
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (ASA)
Southern University and A&M College
Southern Utah University
State University of New York, New Paltz
State University of New York, Oswego
Stephen F. Austin State University
Studio Art Centers International (Florence)
Syracuse University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee Technological University
Texas Tech University
Tyler School of Art, Temple University
Union University
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University of Akron
University of Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas, Little Rock
University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff
University of Bridgeport
University of Central Arkansas
University of Central Missouri
University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati, Raymond Walters College
University of Connecticut
University of Dayton
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Idaho
University of Illinois at Chicago (Program of Graphic Design)
University of Illinois at Chicago (Program of Industrial Design)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Indianapolis
University of Kansas
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Memphis
University of Michigan
University of Mississippi
University of Montana
University of Montevallo
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of New Orleans
University of North Alabama
University of North Dakota
University of Northern Iowa
University of Notre Dame
University of Oregon
University of Saint Francis
University of South Carolina
University of South Dakota
University of South Florida
University of Southern Maine
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Toledo
University of West Georgia
University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin - Stout
University of the Arts
University of the Pacific
Valdosta State University
Vincennes University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar Campus
Virginia State University
Virginia Tech
Washburn University
Washington University in Saint Louis
Watkins College of Art and Design
Wentworth Institute of Technology
West Virginia University
Western Kentucky University
Western Michigan University
Western Washington University
Winthrop University
Youngstown State University