The VCUarts Department of Communication Arts was named among the top programs in the 2025 Illustration School Rankings by Animation Career Review.
VCUarts was ranked #28 nationally, #8 nationally among public schools and colleges, and #9 on the East Coast.
“Our program’s strength has historically come from drawing and design—the foundations of visual storytelling,” says Jason Bennett, chair of Communication Arts. “While we’re proud to be recognized, we see this as a baseline to build on. As we refine our curriculum, we’re excited to see our students’ illustration work continue to rise to the top.”
Animation Career Review started publishing illustration school rankings in 2019. This year, more than 200 schools and colleges were considered.
The rankings consider the academic reputation of the institution, admission selectivity, employment data, program faculty, value, and graduation and retention rates. Data is drawn from annual surveys of peer institutions, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, LinkedIn employment data, and university websites.