Car designers for Detroit's big automakers have been trained at the College for Creative Studies for decades, and transportation design is still its most famous programme. CCS is a private art and design college with two Detroit campuses. The main one is in Midtown near the Detroit Institute of Arts. The other, the Taubman Center, fills the old General Motors Argonaut Building in New Center.
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Official website: collegeforcreativestudies.edu
Private art and design college
Midtown and the A. Alfred Taubman Center, Detroit
NASAD and HLC
$48,000 – $53,000
International students, before scholarships
$14,000 – $17,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on collegeforcreativestudies.edu before you apply.
BFA Transportation Design
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 72
BFA Product Design
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 72
BFA Illustration
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 72
BFA Communication Design
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 72
MFA Transportation Design
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
Transportation design with close ties to the car industry.
Studios inside the former GM Argonaut Building.
Sponsored projects set by real design clients.
Transportation design graduates join studios at GM, Ford, Stellantis and carmakers abroad.
Product and communication design graduates work for agencies, brands and in-house teams.
Illustrators and entertainment artists often freelance or join game and animation studios.
Undergrad
Rolling, Feb priority
Postgrad
Rolling
Midtown is Detroit's museum and university district, with the DIA, Wayne State and a short QLine streetcar ride to downtown. Old factories nearby have turned into studios, bars and coffee shops.
Rent is lower than in most US design cities. Winters are cold, and a car helps for getting to suburbs where many design studios are based.
Form I-20 issued by College for Creative Studies
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
CCS admits on a rolling basis, with priority consideration for applications and portfolios sent by about February for fall. International students should apply early so there is time for the I-20.
New students start in the fall semester in late August. Spring entry is limited.
International students come in on an F-1 visa. The I-20 comes from College for Creative Studies after you confirm your place and show you can cover a year of costs; you then pay the SEVIS fee, fill in the DS-160 and book your consulate interview.
Transportation design, product design, illustration and communication design are the popular BFA majors. You need a portfolio of recent work, school transcripts and TOEFL 72 or IELTS 6.0. Graduate programmes need a relevant degree and a stronger portfolio.
Yes. CCS gives merit scholarships based mainly on the portfolio, and international students are considered automatically when they apply.
