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Arts manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an arts manager. Arts managers usually study graphic design, fine arts, or business. 66% of arts managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 623 real arts manager resumes to see exactly what arts manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for arts managers are the The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
There are also many online arts manager courses to help get the education required to be an arts manager.
What education do you need to become an arts manager?
What degree do you need to be an arts manager?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Associate, 19%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an arts manager?
- Graphic Design, 30%
- Fine Arts, 16%
- Business, 6%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for arts managers
| Arts manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 11.27% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 9.86% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 9.86% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.63% |
| Rhode Island School of Design | 5.63% |
Best majors for arts managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 29.8% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 16.3% |
| 3 | Business | 6.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 4.9% |
| 5 | Photography | 4.6% |
Best colleges for arts managers
The best colleges for arts managers are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Chicago.
An arts manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for arts managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become arts managers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$58,230
Enrollment
6,600
3. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for arts managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for arts managers
The most affordable schools for arts managers are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for arts managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for arts managers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for arts managers
The hardest universities for arts managers to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and University of Chicago.
Some great schools for arts managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for arts managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
3. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
51%
SAT average
1,395
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for arts managers
The easiest schools for arts managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an arts manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for arts managers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average arts manager salary by education level
| Arts manager education level | Arts manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,282 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,082 |
Arts manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025