Ringling School of Design Isn’t For Clowns
Ringling School of Design
Ringling College of Design is a private four-year accredited college is located in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded as an art school in 1931 and became an independent nonprofit organization in 1933. It has been through several name changes. John Ringling, the circus magnate was an early investor. He built a museum housing his vast collection of art. When he lost much of his fortune to bankruptcy, the home and museum were left to the state. By 1933 it was known as the Ringling School of Art and had an enrollment of 75 students. Today Ringling School of Design is known as Ringling College of Art and Design.
As of 2010 the campus includes 49 acres, 108 buildings and the student population is over 1300. Students from 46 states and 46 countries are in attendance. It is generally thought to be the finest art and design school in the country. It offers BFA degrees in advertising design, computer animation, digital film making, fine arts, game art and design, graphic and interactive communication, illustration, interior design, motion design, painting, photography and digital imagery, printmaking and sculpture. Whew, you can certainly have your choice of classes there.
Students are offered remedial services, employment services, placement for graduates, and financial aid. There is an active campus life with many clubs and organizations as well as intramural sports. Dormitories and off campus housing are available. They offer a more specialized focus on individual areas of studies than many other colleges and have state of the art technology and equpiment. There are art shows and extracuriuclar activites to further strengthen the learning experience and build the students’ portfolios.
When you are entering the highly competative field of design, it just makes sense to attend the best school you can afford. The smaller class size and individual attention set the Ringling School of Design apart from larger schools. The student retention rate is about 81% and most students say they would attend the school again given a choice.
They have an excellent faculty to guide and support the students in their endeavors.
Many successful artists and designers are graduates and have goen o to have wonderful careers. In fact graduates of Ringling School of design have the advantage of already being in New York where all the best fashions are.