Europe has a long history of art, design, and architecture, and it offers many places to study graphic design and related fields.
If you are creative and want to build a career around visual communication, graphic design may be worth considering. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of graphic designers is projected to grow by 2% from 2024 to 2034, with about 20,000 openings each year on average over the decade. Below are top European schools with relevant graphic design, communication design, visual communication, and broader design programs.
Top Graphic Design Schools in Europe
1. Royal College of Art
Dedicated to creative practice and research, the Royal College of Art was founded in 1837 as the Government School of Design. RCA is a postgraduate-only art and design institution in London, and the college states that it has ranked No. 1 in the world for art and design in the QS Rankings by Subject for 12 consecutive years.
For students interested in graphic design and related areas, RCA offers a Visual Communication MA. This full-time, 180-credit program is delivered over one year, or 45 weeks. The School of Communication also offers related programs, including the Digital Direction MA and Information Experience Design MA.
RCA also offers a Design MPhil/Ph.D. Its strategic research areas include the future of making; manufacture and materials; systems and design; design for safety; design for health; intelligent machines; data capture and creation; design science; and design resilience. The Ph.D. normally takes three to four years of full-time study or six to seven years of part-time study.
2. University of the Arts London
The University of the Arts London describes itself as Europe’s largest specialist university for art and design. It is also ranked second internationally for art and design in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. UAL is made up of six colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion, and Wimbledon College of Arts.
Relevant undergraduate options include BA (Hons) Graphic Design, BA (Hons) Graphic Design Communication, BA (Hons) Graphic and Media Design, BA (Hons) Graphic Communication Design, BA (Hons) Graphic Branding and Identity, BA (Hons) Illustration, BA (Hons) Illustration and Visual Media, and BA (Hons) Fashion Imaging and Illustration. UAL also offers relevant postgraduate courses, including MA Graphic Design Communication, MA Graphic Communication Design, MA Graphic Media Design, and MA Design for Visual Communication.
3. Polytechnic University of Milan
In Milan, the Polytechnic University of Milan, also known as Politecnico di Milano, offers a three-year Bachelor of Science in Communication Design at its Milano Bovisa campus. The program is taught in Italian.
Politecnico di Milano currently lists five Bachelor of Science programs in design: Communication Design, Fashion Design, Interaction Design, Interior Design, and Product Design. Interaction Design is taught in English, while the other four programs are listed as Italian-taught programs. The Communication Design degree prepares students to work in visual communication, graphics, multimedia, and online interaction. Applicants should review the current language requirements for their chosen program before applying.
4. Aalto University
Aalto University started operating in 2010 after the Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki merged. Its English-taught Design and Media study option leads to both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Art and Design. The full-time pathway takes three years for the bachelor’s degree and two years for the master’s degree, with a total of 180 plus 120 ECTS credits.
Citizens of European Union or European Economic Area countries and Switzerland do not pay tuition fees for degree studies at Aalto University. Holders of certain Finnish residence permits may also qualify for an exemption. Most other non-EU/EEA students in English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs must pay tuition fees. For students whose study rights begin on or after August 1, 2025, the annual fees in the fields of art and architecture are €15,000 for bachelor’s programs and €20,000 for master’s programs. Students interested in a more focused postgraduate option can also consider Aalto’s two-year, 120-ECTS Visual Communication Design MA.
5. The Glasgow School of Art
The Glasgow School of Art is an internationally recognized institution in the visual creative disciplines. Its official website states that it is ranked third in the UK and eighth in the world for art and design in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2026. Its studio-based teaching spans art, design, architecture, innovation, and technology.
The BA (Hons) Communication Design program begins with a broad foundation in research, experimentation, and critical thinking. Students later choose a pathway in Graphic Design, Illustration, or Photography and lens-based practice. GSA also offers a two-year MDes in Communication Design, a practice-led and process-oriented program that considers contemporary visual communication in its social, technological, and economic contexts.
6. Design Academy Eindhoven
An internationally recognized design school, Design Academy Eindhoven is a University of the Arts that specializes in design and forms part of the Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences. The academy states that it has trained aspiring designers for more than 70 years.
DAE offers a four-year bachelor’s program. Its current structure includes Fundamentals, Studios, Reflections, an internship, Focus, and graduation work. Fundamentals are weighted more heavily toward the beginning of the degree, while Studios begin in the second half of the first year and allow students to explore different approaches to design. DAE also offers five two-year master’s programs: Contextual Design, Social Design, Information Design, The Critical Inquiry Lab, and GEO—DESIGN.
7. Goldsmiths, University of London
The School of Design at Goldsmiths, University of London currently offers a BA (Hons) Design, an MA Design: Expanded Practice, an MA Designing Education, and an MPhil/Ph.D. Design. These are broad design programs rather than standalone graphic design degrees.
Students with a graphic design background may be interested in the MA Design: Expanded Practice, a 15-month, full-time program that takes a post-disciplinary approach to design. Goldsmiths states that applicants may come from traditional design areas such as graphic design, product design, fashion design, or interior design, as well as other fields. Its MPhil/Ph.D. Design can be completed through a practice-based or thesis-based route and normally takes two to four years of full-time study or four to eight years of part-time study.
We hope that this article on the Best Graphic Design Schools in Europe was helpful. If you are interested in learning more, check out the Available Programs in Europe for International Students!
