i did both... i went to a university that had an amazing art program (it did when i was there at least, not sure now...)... so it was kinda like going to art school. it seemed like just about every other person i met was an art major...

College versus Art School? I thought art schools were colleges -well, at least the accredited ones like where I attended. I earned a BFA from the art school I attended.

I did one thing that made my art school experience better. I was still living in northern Virginia my first year after high school, so I took several "core" curriculm subjects in community college. Then I transferred those credits up to New York when I started my four year art degree. It was easier to concentrate on art-related projects without some college English term paper getting in the way.

Now there may be another debate --and perhaps this is the point you're making: it is better to attend a college that specializes in art (such as Rhode Island School of Design, Cooper Union, Pratt, Parsons, School of Visual Arts, etc.) or it is just fine to attend a gigantic state university with a Division I NCAA football team?

Ultimately, the question gets answered by your own specific needs. There's decent art programs all over the country, but most are pretty general in nature.

I guess I have more of a bias toward the art schools in New York since many more of the instructors there are working fine arts and commercial arts professionals. You also have the advantage of being in New York. You have the fine arts scene there, the fasion scene, all those museums, the center of the publishing industry and television industry and more.

I can't speak for where it is most advantageous to study art in Europe.