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Chief creative officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief creative officer. Chief creative officers usually study graphic design, fine arts, or communication. 76% of chief creative officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 636 real chief creative officer resumes to see exactly what chief creative officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief creative officers are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.
There are also many online chief creative officer courses to help get the education required to be a chief creative officer.
What education do you need to become a chief creative officer?
What degree do you need to be a chief creative officer?
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a chief creative officer?
- Graphic Design, 26%
- Fine Arts, 11%
- Communication, 11%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for chief creative officers
| Chief creative officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 7.41% |
| New York University | 7.41% |
| American University | 7.41% |
| Pratt Institute | 7.41% |
| Art Center College of Design | 6.17% |
Best majors for chief creative officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 26.2% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 11.4% |
| 3 | Communication | 10.5% |
| 4 | Business | 6.0% |
| 5 | English | 6.0% |
Best colleges for chief creative officers
The best colleges for chief creative officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
A chief creative officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chief creative officers. 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 chief creative officers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$50,226
Enrollment
10,873
8. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
20 best online courses for chief creative officers
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4. Creativity Toolkit II: Creative Collaboration
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The Creativity and AI Specialization explores what it means to be creative in the 21st century. Through a hands-on approach, you will discover the creative potential of AI and learn design methods to expand your creative capacity. These courses are designed for those with technical backgrounds who want to look at their fields from a new perspective and those in creative professions who want to better understand AI and its implications in their industries...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief creative officers
The most affordable schools for chief creative officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for chief creative officers 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 chief creative officers.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
7. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief creative officers
The hardest universities for chief creative officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for chief creative officers 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 chief creative officers 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. 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief creative officers
The easiest schools for chief creative officers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief creative officer 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 chief creative officers.
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. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
Average chief creative officer salary by education level
| Chief creative officer education level | Chief creative officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $256,427 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $224,818 |
| Doctorate Degree | $256,369 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $152,310 |
Chief creative officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025