Traditional University or Art School

College Search & Lists
1

I’m currently an 11th grader (RS Student) in Washington state, and I’ve been previously wanting to major in mechanical engineering till recently I found out I think I’d be more interested in industrial/product design, because I have skills in both analytical things and creative things (drawing and sketching) but I lean more towards the creative side. I always planned on going to a traditional university, but things have changed up now, and now I’m considering going to an art school instead, but I’m not sure if that’s a wise decision, as I don’t know much about how they operate over traditional schools. And I’m also concerned if I were to go to an art school, are there things I may potentially miss out on regarding a traditional school, and I’ve heard the tuition is more expensive. are there any benefits of going to an art school for a major like industrial design, or is attending a traditional school just as beneficial.

Thanks

*sorry if there’s rampant typos, I’m in a rush to get to an Econ class.

2

Like all schools there is a huge range in quality of art schools. For ID you might want to search for schools that are accredited by NASAD. You can look for ID schools here: http://www.idsa.org/education/id-schools. The ID people whose school I know are graduates of traditional schools. There are some very highly regarded art schools though. You might want to take a look at Western Washington U. One of my ID friends had a good experience there.

3

Be sure to check out the terrific Industrial Design program at Western Washington U,
where they offer a BS degree in ID.
Note that a portfolio is required for entrance, but students can have their portfolio reviewed repeatedly, with the instructors providing critique and suggestions for improvement if a student is not accepte.
http://www.wwu.edu/id/