NASAD Accreditation for Design Studies
High Point University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Founded in 1944, NASAD sets national standards for art and design degrees in the United States, and its accreditation covers the university’s art and design degrees, including the Bachelor of Arts in Design Studies with a concentration in Graphic Design.
NASAD review examines curriculum, faculty qualifications, studio facilities and verified student achievement, and it repeats on a regular cycle.
University Accreditation
High Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and has been continuously accredited since 1951. SACSCOC has granted HPU Level V status, which authorizes a university to award doctoral degrees.
Admission by Portfolio Review
Students enter the major through a faculty portfolio review after completing ART 1050 Fundamentals of Design and ART 1060 Drawing. The program has no quota.
Placement and Graduate School Results
Across the ten graduating classes from 2015 through 2024, 151 of the 157 Design Studies graduates who sought employment were placed. All 28 who applied to continue their education were accepted.
NASAD asks accredited programs to publish student achievement data. The year-by-year report is on the Design Studies program page.
Where Design Studies Graduates Work
- Walt Disney Company, Orlando
- Live Nation Entertainment, Raleigh
- Washington Nationals, Washington, D.C.
- Vineyard Vines, Stamford
- Spectrum, Charlotte
- Kontoor Brands, Greensboro
- Margaritaville, Orlando
A Graduate Leading Creative at Disney+
Michaela Mucha is senior manager and associate director of creative marketing at Disney+. She credits the range of campus roles she held, from student concierge to resident assistant to staff graphic designer, with building her professional footing.
Recognition for Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research named High Point University the recipient of its 2025 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments.
Design Program Rankings
College Factual ranked High Point University #2 in its 2027 Best Design & Applied Arts Schools in North Carolina list, which weighs graduation rates, earnings after graduation, affordability and program focus. HPU also ranks #9 in the Southeast Region.
Niche ranks High Point University #60 in its 2027 Best Colleges for Design in America list, which uses U.S. Department of Education data and student reviews.
High Point University Rankings
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 ranks High Point University #1 for Most Innovative Schools and #3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among Regional Universities in the South. HPU also ranks #1 in its category for Earnings by Major, a new U.S. News factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition ranks High Point University #3 for Best-Run Colleges, #3 for Best College Dorms and #3 for Most Beautiful Campus. HPU is the only university in North Carolina ranked in the top 5 for all three.
Niche’s 2027 rankings place High Point University #1 in North Carolina for Best College Campuses, Best College Dorms and Best College Food, and #8 in North Carolina for Colleges with the Best Professors.
Measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers standards, 99% of HPU’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days, 13 points above the national average.
What Design Studies Students Say About the Program
Students in Design Studies and related majors describe how HPU prepared them for their careers.
Ashton Kajcienski
Design Studies major · Experience Manager, Live Nation Entertainment
“The graphic design professors helped heighten my time management and creative skills, which are essential in my role as an event manager, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Kenzie Ulrich
Design Studies major · Marketing and Graphic Design Intern, Lowes Foods
“My experience at HPU has shaped me into a more confident version of myself.”
Elisabeth Crane
Design Studies major · Graphic Design and Sales, Greenhouse Fabrics & Anna Elisabeth
“If you work hard and put everything you have into something, it will pay off.”
Explore Design Studies at High Point University
See the courses design studies majors take and where HPU design studies graduates go next.
Curriculum & Research Careers & Student Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Mark Brown, chair of the Department of Art and Graphic Design, at [email protected].