Where Graphic Design Graduates Work
Graduates hold titles including graphic designer, art director, creative director, brand designer, digital designer, UI and UX designer and marketing assistant.
Employers include the New York Islanders, Warschawski, Crobar Creative, Worldwide Golf, Java House, Ashley Furniture Industries, Lexington Home Brands and Velas Hispaniola.
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 edition ranked High Point University #1 Regional Universities in the South for Earnings by Major, a new factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
Design Careers by the Numbers
Every responding 2024 Graphic Design BFA graduate who sought a job was employed or in an internship, according to the program’s NASAD outcomes report.
U.S. News & World Report ranks High Point University #1 among Regional Universities in the South for Earnings by Major in Best Colleges 2027, a factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
Across all majors, 99% of High Point University’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days of graduation, 13 points above the national average, measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards. The Princeton Review ranks HPU #14 for Best Career Services in its 2027 guide.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a $114,850 median annual wage for art directors in May 2025 and projects employment to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,200 openings each year. Graphic designers earned a median of $62,960.
Salary and employment opportunities vary by occupation, industry, location, experience and other factors.
Internships
Design students have interned with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Charlotte FC, Tauck, Altar’d State, the City of Carmel, Crobar Creative, Gauge Digital Media, Amplify and the Wilson Warbirds.
What Graphic Design Students Say
Kyler Koning
Graphic Designer, Java House
“The design department at HPU helped build up my portfolio to stand out to employers even among senior-level designers in the field.”
Jillian Pandiscia
Graphic Designer, Worldwide Golf
“Through hands-on classes, access to industry-standard software, and opportunities to work with HPU Athletics, I was able to build a diverse portfolio and grow my skills in real-world settings.”
Madison Baylock
Graphic Designer, Charter Communications/Spectrum
“My capstone classes prepared me for real-world projects in my career, and the connections I made with professors helped me find my visual voice.”
Designing for the NHL and Beyond
Aidan Dietrick is a graphic and motion designer for the New York Islanders. Dietrick knew the goal was graphic design before arriving at HPU and credits classroom critiques and faculty mentorship with leading to what Dietrick calls a dream role in the NHL.
Kyler Koning is a graphic designer for Java House in Indianapolis, and Jillian Pandiscia joined Worldwide Golf’s creative team in Raleigh. Madison Baylock designs for Charter Communications/Spectrum in Charlotte, and Paxton Taylor opened PAX STUDIO, a logo and brand design business in Thomasville.
Earlier graduates have designed for ESPN (Jacquelyn Reilly), Johnson & Johnson (Ashley Hengerer) and Zimmerman Advertising (Brandon Hubschman).
Internships and Graduate School
Mia Salzman designed student workbooks, webpages and an app icon as a production design intern at Amplify. Avery Good runs social brand identity and motion graphics for the Wilson Warbirds, and Emily Longo designed tour brochures at Tauck.
Graduates have continued into graduate study at Syracuse University in museum exhibition design and at Virginia Commonwealth University, and into HPU’s M.A. in Communication and Business Leadership.
Graphic Design Club
The Graphic Design Club gives design students a community, portfolio projects and leadership experience before they graduate.
More Ways to Get Involved
Design students also join Art Club, Fashion Forward and the National Retail Federation Student Association.
Campus sits a short walk from the High Point Market, the largest home furnishings trade show in the world.
Graphic Design in the News
Morgan Franzoni
HPU Students Build Professional Skills, Gain Experience at High Point Market
Morgan Franzoni, a sophomore graphic design major with a minor in fashion design from Cumberland, Rhode Island, sharpened her skills and made professional connections in the home furnishings industry while working for Loloi during her first High Point Market.
Mia Salzman
Mia Salzman Interns in Production Design at Amplify
She created layout designs for student workbooks and teacher guides, adding images, gradients and textures.
Graphic Design Innovators in Residence
HPU’s Access to Innovators program connects students with global leaders for networking, mentorship and experiential learning. Students in the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design learn from designer Alexander Julian and painter Monique Rollins.
Julian, a member of The Fashion Hall of Fame, has taught design classes on campus and created the Pantherstooth design on HPU’s basketball uniforms. Rollins has had art exhibitions in the United States, Asia and Europe and has met with HPU art students in the painting studio.
Explore the Graphic Design BFA at High Point University
See the courses behind these careers and how HPU graphic design ranks.
Accreditation & Awards Curriculum & Research
Questions about the program? Email Mark Brown, chair of the Department of Art and Graphic Design, at [email protected].