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According to a recently completed, five year study, 70-80% of our grads are placed in full time jobs with benefits within one year of graduating. This figure is even higher when including those who get part-time employment or earn money through freelancing.
Jobs are found in full service graphic design firms, sign and specialty print shops, editorial design for magazines and newspapers, marketing and public relations firms, in UX/web design and all manner of design production, to name some of the primary employers. The vast majority of graduates find jobs right here in Eugene, but our grads are spread across all regions of the country.
Admission into the second year does change some from year to year. For the 2026-27 Academic year, students will need to complete a formal application. Staring with the 2027-28 Academic year, we are shifting to a prerequisite-based model, where students must meet specific course requirements and register early to secure a spot.
Those students who are not accepted into the program have a number of options.
- Focus on Foundations: Use the upcoming year to complete any remaining foundational courses or general education requirements. This ensures that once you do enter the second year, your workload will be more manageable.
- The New Pathway (Post-2026): Because the 2026–27 year is the final year for formal applications, a "non-acceptance" this year does not bar you from the program in the future. Starting in 2027, you will be able to enter the second year simply by meeting course prerequisites and participating in early registration.
Certainly there are particular companies or institutions that make a bachelor’s degree requirement for some of their positions. Often, these are bigger firms or institutions and so if a person wants to get into certain levels of employment, they might need to continue on to get a bachelor’s degree or higher. It is always best to do some research into the various jobs in the field that might interest you and try to ascertain what level of education is required for them.
There are many different options for starting out at Lane in order to transfer well into another program, should you feel that this is your path. Always see an advisor about how your plans fit with the offerings at Lane.
That said, Lane grads do very well in the job market and many of our grads have moved up to leadership positions within the field having only obtained the art and applied science degree in graphic design from Lane.
The area of illustration is a specialty area of graphic design and can be pursued through the program. The program offers courses in both analog and digital illustration and some faculty are professional illustrators as well. If you are interested in pursuing a career in illustration, please let the faculty know and your final coursework and portfolio can be tailored to that career.
Although drawing skill is an advantage, especially in a small market, it is not a requirement for a career in graphic design. Drawing classes are required for all first year students, however, because they are a great way to develop technical skills as well as for use in storyboarding and thumbnailing concepts for designers, co-workers and clients.
The Lane Community College Graphic Design program teaches entry level skills but, of course, can't guarantee employment. Locally, most entry level jobs involve the production of someone else's design, with most of this work now being done on the computer. Lane offers a very strong foundation in production skills and technology as well as in computer skills.