Does graduating from a prestigious school make a difference in landing a good job in this field?
In my experience, no. While there are a few art directors and human resources people who are star struck’ by certain school names, going to the biggest and most expensive schools doesn’t guarantee a great education or fantastic job opportunities. In the field of illustration, I have known artists with degrees from prestigious schools who struggle to make a living, while on the other hand, I see self-taught illustrators who fare quite well. Usually, the artists who do best are those who focus on the quality of skills that they can learn in school (regardless of the school) as well as those who learn to properly promote themselves and to negotiate terms once a job is landed.
