Officially known as The City of San José, this metropolis is also known as the Capital of Silicon Valley. San Jose is situated at the south tip of the San Francisco Bay, contained by the unofficial borders of Silicon Valley. This city serves as the county seat of the Santa Clara County and is the third most populated city in the State of California. It was named the tenth most populated city in the United States just recently and has maintained the title of The Safest Big City in America over the past number of years.

The city of San Jose has one of the lowest rates of crime in the United States. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Jose is the nation’s safest city. This proclamation is based on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s statistics for the year 2004 on six categories, namely: murder, robbery, rape, burglary, auto theft and aggravated assault. As home to a number of different colleges and universities, San Jose provides students a safe environment for earning their degrees. Here are some schools offering programs in graphic design located in the city of San Jose, California.

· The Silicon Valley College in San Jose offers a host of degree programs that provide its students with the skills and the training necessary for a career in Graphic Design. This institution has Associates and Diploma programs on Architectural Design Drafting, Computer Aided Drafting, Computer Graphics, Computer Graphics Specialist, Computer Graphics Designer, and some others. Silicon Valley College also has other campuses located in Emeryville, Fremont and Walnut Creek, California.

· Brooks College in San Jose has a course for an Associate of Science in Graphic Design Degree. This program includes learning the basic skills in graphic design, moving on to advanced multimedia and other animation techniques that involve the application of computer knowledge and use of computer software.

· Western Career College with campuses in locations such as Emeryville, Pleasant Hill and in San Jose, California offers programs on Computer Graphics and Graphic Design. This educational institution is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Western Career College San Jose Campus offers a degree in Computer Graphics - Associate of Applied Science and Computer, a Certificate for Graphics Specialists, Certificate for the Computer Graphics Designer Course, a Certificate for the course on Architectural Design Drafting and an Associate of Science Degree for the same course.

· The San Jose State University also offers a Graphic Design Program. Their program trains students to use their skills in solving problems, combine it with their planning abilities and analysis to create a successful medium for visual communications. The San Jose State University puts stress and emphasis on the basic theories of graphic design and the theoretical and conceptual development of messages in preference to occupational or professional training.

With the presence of these institutions of education offering programs in graphic design, prospective students of the field of graphic design are sure to find a secure, protected environment and great place to earn their degree with in the city of San Jose, California.