MIAD ranked #1 Graphic Design School in Wisconsin by Animation Career Review
In its 2023 rankings, Animation Career Review named MIAD the #1 Graphic Design School in Wisconsin and in the top 7% of design schools in the Midwest. The college’s Animation and Illustration programs also received top rankings.
Animation Career Review evaluates the academic reputation, employment data, depth and breadth of program faculty, tuition value, and graduation and retention rates both of independent colleges like MIAD and of public universities.
Catherine Currie, Communication Design ’23, illuminates the program’s and MIAD’s student excellence. She will join Nike for a summer internship, winning over 1,500 graphic design candidates from across the country to be the only graphic design intern at the company. She was previously awarded the prestigious Type Directors Club National Scholarship and has gained national recognition for her typography.
“[MIAD] does a really nice job of prioritizing their students and creating a relationship with their students,” says Currie. “Being here I really built a foundation of trust and a network of professionals that I can rely on for the rest of my life.” Click here to hear about Currie’s internship and projects.
MIAD’s Communication Design program prepares students for print and digital work that informs and educates in new ways, always through the lens of the end user, and through partnerships and internships in Milwaukee and beyond. In today’s global economy, alumni fill important positions at established advertising agencies, design firms and major corporations, with many leading their own creative businesses.
In addition to the rankings in Animation Career Review, MIAD has been named a previous Top Design School by Graphic Design USA.
Learn more about MIAD’s Communication Design program and alumni success.
News
MIAD Future Creatives supports high school students and educators
Digital design students at Franklin High School say their class project through the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s Future Creatives program provided new skills in teamwork while increasing their awareness of career pathways in design.
MIAD professor, alum named 2026 Mary L. Nohl Fellows
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Communication Design professor Laura Farahzad Mayer and alum Nomka Enkhee ’25 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice) each received one of five Mary L. Nohl Fellowships for 2026. The recipients of emerging artist awards, Farahzad Mayer and Enkhee were selected from among 168 applicants.
MIAD Independent Inquiry Program: Building knowledge, confidence
From a Fine Art major to Illustration, Communication Design and Product Design – first-year student to senior – participants in the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s Independent Inquiry Program say they are building both knowledge and self-confidence.
Pallas Textiles winner reflects as 2026 competition to launch
MIAD senior Julianna Frixione ’26 (Product Design) says winning the 2025 Pallas Textiles Student Design Competition will mainly affect her remaining studies at MIAD by “pushing me to continue working hard at the path I’m on.”
MIAD Values Recognition Award: Lisa Floading
Lisa Floading, Coordinator of Tutoring Services, received the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) MIAD Values Recognition Award for November 2025. Lisa received nominations that highlighted her embodiment of MIAD’s Core Values, especially Innovation and Community.