SCAD never built a campus. Since 1979 it has bought and restored nearly 70 historic buildings across downtown Savannah, including an armory, a jail, a railroad complex, two theaters and a department store. It filled them with students in animation, film, fashion, design and the fine arts. The result is a private art and design university woven through the squares of a National Historic Landmark District.
About this site
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a college & university in Savannah, Chatham County. It is one of 2 colleges & universities documented in Chatham County, among 480 historic sites cataloged across the county on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 32.0761, -81.0935 near Savannah. The nearest cataloged historic site is Original Presbyterian Meeting House (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include First Baptist Church, Dr. Wm. A. Caruthers (1802-46), and James Edward Oglethorpe.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Savannah College of Art and Design different
Its first building, Poetter Hall, is an 1892 militia armory on Madison Square that the founders bought in 1979. It is still in use today. scad.edu
There is no quad. Classes meet in nearly 70 restored historic buildings scattered through downtown Savannah. scad.edu
In 2003 the Georgia Cities Foundation gave SCAD its first-ever Renaissance Award for its role in reviving downtown Savannah. georgiaencyclopedia.org
The SCAD Museum of Art is built into the Central of Georgia Railway's antebellum complex. Its rehabilitation won a Georgia Trust Excellence in Preservation Award in 2013. scad.edu
The main library, Jen Library, occupies a 1925 department store on Broughton Street. sah-archipedia.org
Every October since 1998, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival has screened films in two restored downtown theaters, the 1946 Trustees Theater and the 1921 Lucas Theatre. scad.edu
In 2023 SCAD opened a studio backlot of 17 Savannah-style street facades at Savannah Film Studios. blavity.com
The Savannah College of Art and Design was incorporated on September 29, 1978, by Richard G. Rowan, Paula Wallace, and May and Paul Poetter. They wanted to bring professional art and design degrees to southeast Georgia. Classes began in fall 1979 with 71 students inside the 1892 Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory on Madison Square. The founders bought that Romanesque brick building and renamed it Poetter Hall, and the college still uses it.
Instead of building a campus from scratch, SCAD kept buying downtown buildings that had been left empty, among them schoolhouses, a county jail, railroad buildings, movie theaters and a department store. It restored them as classrooms, studios, galleries and housing. That work is widely credited with helping revive downtown Savannah. In 2003 the college received the Georgia Cities Foundation's first Renaissance Award and a Main Street leadership award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
SCAD later added a location in Atlanta (2005), a campus in the French village of Lacoste, and the online SCADnow. It also runs the SCAD Museum of Art and the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, held every October since 1998. Savannah Film Studios opened a backlot of Savannah-style street facades in 2023. Co-founder Paula Wallace is the university's president.
#1 design university in the Americas and Europe, and the only U.S. school in the global top five — Red Dot Design Ranking, 2025source
#1 among the 15 best art schools in the U.S. — Art & Object, 2026source
#2 animation school in the U.S. (#1 in Georgia and the South) — Animation Career Review, 2026source
#7 game design school in the U.S. (#1 in Georgia) — Animation Career Review, 2026source
Top Schools to Study Game Design: #9 undergraduate and #9 graduate — The Princeton Review, 2026source
#12 on its list of the world's best film schools — The Hollywood Reporter, 2026source
Majors & programs
SCAD sorts its degrees into academic schools, and Savannah offers the widest choice of any SCAD location, from animation and architecture to sneaker design and equestrian studies. The list below shows the programs that SCAD's own program pages listed for Savannah in September 2026. Check the official list for the latest.
Known for
Animation
Ranked #2 in the U.S. by Animation Career Review (2026), and taught in both Savannah and Atlanta.
Known for
Film and Television
The Hollywood Reporter ranked SCAD #12 among film schools in 2026. Students shoot at SCAD's own Savannah Film Studios.
Known for
Interactive Design and Game Development
One of The Princeton Review's top game design schools for 2026, and #7 in the U.S. from Animation Career Review.
Known for
Sequential Art (comics)
SCAD says it was the first university to offer both bachelor's and graduate degrees in sequential art. Its alumni include Harvey Award winner Ngozi Ukazu.
Known for
Historic Preservation
Taught inside a National Historic Landmark District, where the college's own restored buildings serve as case studies.
Known for
Equestrian Studies
A B.A. offered alongside SCAD's equestrian team, which won its fifth IHSA national championship in 2026.
Residente (René Pérez Joglar) — co-founder of Calle 13; winner of four Grammys and a record number of Latin Grammys (MFA) en.wikipedia.org
Christopher John Rogers — fashion designer and 2019 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner; Kamala Harris wore his design to the 2021 inauguration (2016 graduate) en.wikipedia.org
Nickson Fong — computer-graphics artist who shared a 2013 Academy Scientific and Technical Award (master's in computer art, 1994) en.wikipedia.org
Christian Sottile — Savannah architect and urban designer, AIA Fellow, and former dean of SCAD's School of Building Arts (B.F.A. and M.Arch.) en.wikipedia.org
Ngozi Ukazu — creator of the hockey comic 'Check, Please!', winner of 2019 Harvey and Ignatz awards (Sequential Art master's, 2015) en.wikipedia.org
Tradd Moore — comic artist of 'Silver Surfer: Black' and 'The Strange Talent of Luther Strode' (2010 graduate) en.wikipedia.org
Jacen Burrows — comic artist of 'Providence' and 'Neonomicon' (Sequential Art, 1996) en.wikipedia.org
Samuel Shaw (Dexter Lumis) — WWE wrestler and former illustrator (2006 graduate) en.wikipedia.org
Daniel Roher — director of the Oscar-winning documentary 'Navalny' (attended three semesters) en.wikipedia.org
Sean Murphy — writer-artist of 'Batman: White Knight' (attended) en.wikipedia.org
Where graduates work
99% of SCAD's Spring 2024 graduates were working, in graduate school, or both within 12 months of graduating. That's SCAD's own figure, from its 2025 alumni employment study, which covers graduates of all its locations. Below are companies that SCAD or independent reporting name as employers of SCAD graduates or students. scad.edu
Home venues: SCAD Athletics Complex (soccer, lacrosse) · Ronald C. Waranch Equestrian Center, Hardeeville, S.C. · Chatham County Aquatic Center (swimming) · Bacon Park (tennis)
SCAD Savannah · SCAD - The Savannah College of Art and DesignHear the story of SCAD from family and friends · SCAD - The Savannah College of Art and DesignCrowninshield Award: W. Knox Mellon, Ph.D + Paula Wallace · National Trust for Historic PreservationSCAD Savannah Film Festival concludes with star-studded final night · WTOCSCAD Savannah Film Studios backlot: Phase one · SCAD - The Savannah College of Art and DesignSCAD athletics: producing champion teams · SCAD - The Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design: questions & answers
What is SCAD known for?
Art and design. SCAD is best known for animation, film and television, game design, fashion, illustration and comics, and historic preservation. Red Dot ranked it the #1 design university in the Americas and Europe in 2025.
How many buildings does SCAD have in Savannah?
Nearly 70, most of them restored historic buildings spread through downtown Savannah rather than grouped on a single campus.
Is SCAD a good school for animation?
Animation is one of SCAD's flagship programs. Animation Career Review ranked it #2 in the U.S. for 2026, and it offers BFA, MA and MFA degrees in both Savannah and Atlanta.
What sports does SCAD Savannah have?
The SCAD Savannah Bees compete in the NAIA's Sun Conference. Sports include bowling, cross country, cycling, equestrian, flag football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis and track & field. Full schedules are at savannah.scadathletics.com.
Has SCAD won national championships?
Yes. SCAD Savannah has won NAIA titles in women's soccer (2024), women's golf (2018 and 2026) and women's swimming & diving (six times), plus five IHSA national championships in equestrian.
Can you visit the SCAD Museum of Art?
Yes. It is at 601 Turner Blvd., in the former Central of Georgia Railway complex, and is closed on Tuesdays. Admission is charged, and children under 14 get in free. Check scadmoa.org for current hours.
Does SCAD have campuses outside Savannah?
Yes: Atlanta (since 2005), Lacoste in France, and the online SCADnow. Savannah is the largest location.
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