FIT has one of most popular and renowned Illustration programs in the country—and two recent rankings help make this case.
In its 2021 list of the Top Public Illustration Schools in the U.S., Animation Career Review ranked FIT No. 1. The ranking was based on academic reputation, admission selectivity, depth and breadth of the program, value, and employment data.
The site recognized FIT for providing excellent training on computer skills employers require and for the program’s unique visual thesis process. Additionally, FIT’s status as a public college means tuition is affordable, and students get access to resources throughout the SUNY system.
StateUniversity.com hranked FIT No. 2 nationally in its list of Most Popular Schools for Illustration. Both public and private colleges were in the running.
Ed Soyka, chair of the Illustration program, believes a number of FIT’s strengths factored into these rankings: the motivated and talented students; the focus on myriad fields within commercial illustration, such as editorial, video games, and advertising; the college’s central location in New York City; and the new hybrid classrooms, which are equipped with both digital and analog media, so that students can jump back and forth as needed.
Soyka gives special commendation to the caliber of teaching. “Our faculty are expert and highly experienced, both as freelance illustrators and as very empathetic and supportive teachers,” he says.