Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Associate art director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an associate art director. Associate art directors usually study graphic design, fine arts, or design and visual communication. 66% of associate art directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,131 real associate art director resumes to see exactly what associate art director education sections show.
The most common colleges for associate art directors are the School of Visual Arts and the School of Visual Arts.
There are also many online associate art director courses to help get the education required to be an associate art director.
What education do you need to become an associate art director?
What degree do you need to be an associate art director?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Associate, 21%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an associate art director?
- Graphic Design, 40%
- Fine Arts, 13%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for associate art directors
| Associate art director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| School of Visual Arts | 16.99% |
| Pratt Institute | 9.65% |
| Syracuse University | 7.34% |
| New York University | 6.18% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.18% |
Best majors for associate art directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 40.0% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 13.5% |
| 3 | Design And Visual Communication | 6.9% |
| 4 | Business | 6.0% |
| 5 | Liberal Arts | 4.9% |
Best colleges for associate art directors
The best colleges for associate art directors are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Duke University.
An associate art director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for associate art directors. 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 associate art directors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for associate art directors
Advertising disclosure
1. Visual Design (Part Time)
Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
2. Photoshop and Photography Digital Art Compositing Course
Learn Adobe Photoshop CC and photography by designing levitation digital art composites from four photoshoots...
3. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...
4. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects
Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...
5. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process
Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...
6. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign
Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...
7. Graphic Design Masterclass Intermediate: The NEXT Level
Up Your Graphic Design Skills: Logo Design, Photo Manipulation, Package Design, Infographics, Portfolio Building, Grids!...
8. Photoshop CC for Beginners: Adobe Photoshop Course
This Adobe Photoshop CC course will teach you the basics of Photoshop for web design, graphic design, photography & more...
9. Adobe Photoshop CC: A Beginner to Advanced Photoshop Course
You can learn Adobe Photoshop CC. Graphic Design, Photo Editing & Retouching, Learn it all with this Photoshop class...
10. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners
Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...
11. 27 Photoshop CC Projects + 547 Photoshop Essentials Template
Photoshop for busy business owners, includes 27 projects, 547 Photoshop essentials templates or learn tocreate your own...
12. Complete Adobe Photoshop Megacourse: Beginner to Expert
Learn how to edit digital art and photos like a pro with this step-by-step course!...
13. Learn Professional 2D Game Asset Graphic Design in Photoshop
Become an exquisite game designer and start creating game art today!...
14. Logo Design Mastery In Adobe Illustrator
Learn Logo Design Theory, The Creative Process, How to Work With Clients & Master Adobe Illustrator Tools...
15. Graphic Design Masterclass: Design 40+ Projects in Photoshop
Use Photoshop to create YT thumbnails, banners, catalogues, Instagram & Facebook Graphics, Cards, CV, Newsletters & more...
16. Adobe Illustrator for Mobile Game Art - A Beginners Guide
Create mobile game art in Adobe illustrator just by using basic concepts, essential tools and proven workflows...
17. Digital Painting in Photoshop: Create Amazing Concept Art
Create stunning concept art with Adobe Photoshop and learn the features to aid in that process...
18. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Advanced Training Using Adobe CC
Project-Based Learning For Intermediate Designers: Use Photoshop, Lightroom, and Other Adobe Creative Cloud Programs...
19. Drone Photography Shoot Professional Photos With Any Drone
Your Complete Online Guide to Shooting Incredible Drone Photography Like a Professional...
20. Adobe Animate CC 2018 - HTML5 Banner Ads
This course is for designers needing to make banner advertising...
Top 10 most affordable universities for associate art directors
The most affordable schools for associate art directors are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for associate art directors 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 associate art directors.
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. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate art directors
The hardest universities for associate art directors to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for associate art directors 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 associate art directors 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate art directors
The easiest schools for associate art directors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate art director 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 associate art directors.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
Average associate art director salary by education level
| Associate art director education level | Associate art director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,617 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $69,346 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $95,520 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $77,907 |
Associate art director education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for associate art director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025