History, Affiliations and Rankings

Richard G. Rowan, Paula S. Wallace, May L. Poetter and Paul E. Poetter founded the Savannah College of Art and Design on September 29, 1978. In September 1979, the university began teaching with four employees, seven professors and 71 students. In May 1981, the first graduate received a degree. The following year received the first promotion title. In 1982, enrollment increased to over 500 students, then to 1,000 in 1986, and to 2,000 in 1989. In 2014, the university had over 11,000 undergraduate enrollments. The riots led to the opening of a rival art school downtown and sparked an "all-out war." In June 2020, amid the Black Lives Matter protests in the US, Savannah College of Art and Design established an Inclusion Office and announced related initiatives to combat systemic racism, including the addition of 15 subsidised scholarships for black students. Savannah College of Art and Design is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and Schools and other professional accrediting bodies. It is ranked at #600 in US College Rankings Times Higher Education 2022, and at #329 in World University Ranking by QS world. 

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

Campus life offers students a variety of opportunities to collaborate with college professors and friends, participate in campus activities, access campus resources, and increase the likelihood of overall success. The university consists of two campuses, one in Savannah and the other in Atlanta and the other in Hong Kong. The campus has several major buildings such as Sand at Victory Village, Lacoste Library, The Shed, fitness centres and many more. The students, faculty and staff can explore a variety of college restaurants options and meal plans. The university offers education through its eight schools namely School of Construction Arts, School of Communication Arts, School of Design, School of Fashion, School of Digital Media, School of Arts of Entertainment, School of Fine Arts, and the School of Liberal Arts. UG in the university has more than 40 majors and more than 75 degree and certification programs and access to multiple learning centres around the world. Fine and Performing Arts, Communication Technologies, Journalism, Design, Architecture, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Animation, Marketing, Industrial Engineering, Photography and Media, Writing, Humanities are some of the most popular courses at the university.

Accomplishments and Alumni

The university is the only university in the world to offer an M.F.A. program in Accessory Design and the first in the USA to offer an M.A. in the same discipline. The professional M.Arch. degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accreditation Board. The Master of Arts in Teaching degrees offered by the university are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The university is licensed by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design is accredited by the Interior Design Accreditation Council. The university has several extended alumni networks around the world. Alumni of the university receive several benefits such as access to all campus services and libraries through the use of their alumni card, access to a variety of networking and professional development events, access to a free online portfolio through Behance, apparel and gift items, opportunities to participate in various alumni Festivals and much more. Tomas Kalnoky (Lead singer of ska punk band Streetlight Manifesto), M. Alice LeGrow (creator of the graphic novel series Bizenghast), Peg Parnevik (Swedish singer, a songwriter, and a television personality) are some of the notable alumni of the university. 

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

The university enrols more than 14,000 students from across the United States and around the world, with international students making up 17% of the student population. The average salary for Savannah College of Art and Design graduates is approximately $59,352 per year. The highest paid salary in college is Art Director at $77,000.