I am a parent of a prospective CCAD student
Parents of current students Plan your visit ShopCCAD.org
We understand that helping your student find the right school can be an exciting but sometimes stressful process. At any point of the process, we're happy to chat with you about any questions you have about CCAD, or about art and design schools in general. In the meantime, here are a few things we want to make sure you know.
First, the basics.
CCAD is independent
We are an independent, nonprofit college. That means that every tuition dollar goes directly into ensuring the quality of your student's education.
CCAD is seasoned
We've been around awhile. Founded in 1879, CCAD is one of the oldest art and design colleges in the U.S. (That means we have a vast CCAD family, and we're not going anywhere anytime soon.)
Your student can get a great start at CCAD, even if they can't be here in person.
If your student is interested in a fully online course load for their first year at CCAD, they can contact Admissions at [email protected].
More on the Myth
As Jennifer Lena, a senior research scholar for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, recently told Forbes, "There's a ton of evidence that prospects for graduates from art schools today are better than they've ever been before in terms of income, their ability to survive economic turbulence, and their preparedness for the job market of the 2020s."
"Why Art School Can Be A Smart Career Move," Forbes, Aug. 15, 2015
CCAD Students Get Jobs
Among our students, 88.2% of graduates have jobs or educational plans a year after graduation.
2016 Outcomes Survey of 2015 graduates.
Your student will be part of a family
By coming to CCAD, your student is joining a connected community that cares deeply about their success. We provide a tremendous amount of services to support their success, including academic tutoring, disability support, counseling, career services, residence life, multicultural support, leadership development, and more. It’s a challenging creative environment, but our doors are always open.
This is a safe campus
At CCAD, we take the safety of our students very seriously — and we're proud of our security statistics. While we love being in the heart of an urban environment, we also understand that this is a big change for some students. CCAD security officers are continually stationed around campus, and they’re trained to intervene in emergencies like criminal acts or health crises. Our mission is to create and maintain a safe learning environment for our students.
About Columbus
Columbus, with its thriving creative communities, has numerous art and design spaces and ever-expanding districts that are closely tied to CCAD artists and designers. Columbus is bigger than Boston, Denver, and Seattle,¹ and is home to one of the largest student populations in the country, with 61 college and university campuses and more than 136,000 students in the region.²
Learn more about CCAD and Columbus.
¹ U.S Census Bureau, July 1, 2015
² National Center for Education Statistics, 2014
Columbus by the numbers
No 1 opportunity city in the U.S.
No 3 best city for new college grads
No 3 most fashion designers — behind New York and Los Angeles
No 4 best place to shop in America
No 4 best city to start a business
No 5 most grad-friendly market
It's an investment
We recognize that a college education is a huge investment for most families. So we do our part by working hard to enhance the educational experience and provide value that will accompany students for the rest of their lives. CCAD provides millions of dollars in scholarships each year to our students. Plus, statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor show that those with a college diploma earn an average of 65% more than those with only a high school diploma. We're happy to talk with you about your options and the resources available to get your student's CCAD story started.
Get a preview
Choosing a college is a big decision and our CCAD College Preview (grades 10–12) is designed to help give a vision to what life at CCAD is really like.
Core Studies (the foundation to art and design education)
Skills learned at CCAD go beyond the artistry. Our Core Studies ensure that students graduate ready to face the world and succeed in their professional field of choice.
Core Studio
Core First-Year
This requirement covers foundational courses for students in all majors. They will learn drawing, design, technology, and business.
Core Studio (Sophomore Year)
CCAD prepares students for a collaborative creative environment by teaching technical skills outside the major of choice.
Core Studio (Junior Year)
Students will learn how to think conceptually and work with students from many different majors.
Core Practicum (Senior Year)
The core practicum teaches students the skills they need to succeed professionally with other artists and designers.
Core Liberal Arts
History of Art & Design
It's all about the work, but it's also about how students look at the world. This core class teaches how their major of choice fits in the history of art and design.
Writing, Literature & Philosophy
This class focuses on teaching how to communicate about and bringing meaning to the student's work.
Science & Social Science
From anatomy to chemistry, science informs art and design. Students will gain a broader perspective and will be able to apply it to their works.
Business, Entrepreneurship & Math
After they have learned how to do the work, CCAD teaches them how to make money.
Explore our majors
Students dive right in. They fearlessly create. From day one, they get their hands dirty at CCAD.
From the beginning, students can collaborate with people in other majors as they learn essential creative concepts, from color theory to fundamental design. Students will also start to learn how to sell their work and themselves as professional artists and designers. For a real competitive advantage, they can even pursue CCAD's business minor while they work on their major.