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Associate curator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an associate curator. Associate curators usually study fine arts, history, or graphic design. 73% of associate curators hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 94 real associate curator resumes to see exactly what associate curator education sections show.

The most common colleges for associate curators are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There are also many online associate curator courses to help get the education required to be an associate curator.

What education do you need to become an associate curator?

What degree do you need to be an associate curator?

The most common degree for associate curators is bachelor's degree, with 73% of associate curators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 21%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become an associate curator?

You should major in fine arts to become an associate curator. 37% of associate curators major in fine arts. Other common majors for an associate curator include history and graphic design.

Most common colleges for associate curators

Associate curators often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, School of Visual Arts, and Trinity College. Here are the most common colleges for associate curators in the US based on their resumes.
Associate curator common collegePercentages
University of California, Santa Barbara10.34%
School of Visual Arts6.90%
Trinity College6.90%
California State University - Monterey Bay6.90%
American University6.90%

Best majors for associate curators

RankMajorPercentages
1Fine Arts36.8%
2History10.3%
3Graphic Design5.9%
4Liberal Arts5.9%
5Elementary Education4.4%

Best colleges for associate curators

The best colleges for associate curators are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Georgetown University.

An associate curator 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 curators. 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 curators.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for associate curators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for associate curators

The most affordable schools for associate curators are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for associate curators 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 curators.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for associate curators

The hardest universities for associate curators to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Georgetown University.

Some great schools for associate curators 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 curators 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

4. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for associate curators

The easiest schools for associate curators to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an associate curator 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 curators.

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. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

Average associate curator salary by education level

According to our data, associate curators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $55,940 annually. Associate curators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $46,904.
Associate curator education levelAssociate curator salary
Master's Degree$55,940
Bachelor's Degree$46,904

Associate curator 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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