Where graphic designers focus on a piece's entire look, including colors, fonts, and layouts, illustration majors are more concerned with learning to create specific images. Illustration majors use their art to tell a story. Graphic design students learn to make art that combines with text, animation, and other elements of design to create a cohesive message.

You'll learn about graphic design in all sorts of mediums, from traditional print formats to cutting-edge digital and mobile. Graphic design programs teach students the principles of communicating information and emotion through visual art.

To help those trying to choose between these distinct art school programs, we've compared them in a few key areas to see how they stack up against each other. While these majors have some similarities, they also have differences in their curriculum and job prospects. Two of the more popular art school concentrations are illustration and graphic design. No single course of study could be considered 'the best' for everyone, but there are some popular programs that have common appeal to the artistically inclined.

Graphic design illustrator