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Assistant technical designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant technical designer. Assistant technical designers usually study graphic design, apparel and textiles, or specialized sales and merchandising. 67% of assistant technical designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 522 real assistant technical designer resumes to see exactly what assistant technical designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant technical designers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There are also many online assistant technical designer courses to help get the education required to be an assistant technical designer.

What education do you need to become an assistant technical designer?

What degree do you need to be an assistant technical designer?

The most common degree for assistant technical designers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of assistant technical designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 1%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Associate, 29%
  • Master's, 1%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become an assistant technical designer?

You should major in graphic design to become an assistant technical designer. 59% of assistant technical designers major in graphic design. Other common majors for an assistant technical designer include apparel and textiles and specialized sales and merchandising.

Most common colleges for assistant technical designers

Assistant technical designers often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco, and FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Here are the most common colleges for assistant technical designers in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant technical designer common collegePercentages
Fashion Institute of Technology30.81%
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco13.95%
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising6.98%
Thomas Jefferson University and Philadelphia University6.40%
New York School of Interior Design4.65%

Best majors for assistant technical designers

Best colleges for assistant technical designers

The best colleges for assistant technical designers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.

An assistant technical designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant technical designers. 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 assistant technical designers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for assistant technical designers

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Learn the steps you need to turn an idea into reality. By the end of this course you’ll learn how to bring an idea from concept to hand off for development and onto creation of a prototype...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant technical designers

The most affordable schools for assistant technical designers are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for assistant technical designers 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 assistant technical designers.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$9,222

Cost of attendance

20,422

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 assistant technical designers

The hardest universities for assistant technical designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for assistant technical designers 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 assistant technical designers 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant technical designers

The easiest schools for assistant technical designers to get into are Notre Dame College, notre dame de namur university, and cardinal stritch university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant technical designer 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 assistant technical designers.

1. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

4. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

5. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

6. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

7. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Longwood University

Farmville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,065

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

Average assistant technical designer salary by education level

Assistant technical designers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $69,736 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, assistant technical designers earn a median annual income of $62,054 compared to $53,711 for assistant technical designers with an Associate degree.
Assistant technical designer education levelAssistant technical designer salary
Master's Degree$69,736
Bachelor's Degree$62,054
Some College/ Associate Degree$53,711

Assistant technical designer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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