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Co-founder and creative director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a co-founder and creative director. Co-founder and creative directors usually study graphic design, photography, or communication. 76% of co-founder and creative directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 524 real co-founder and creative director resumes to see exactly what co-founder and creative director education sections show.

The most common colleges for co-founder and creative directors are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

There are also many online co-founder and creative director courses to help get the education required to be a co-founder and creative director.

What education do you need to become a co-founder and creative director?

What degree do you need to be a co-founder and creative director?

The most common degree for co-founder and creative directors is bachelor's degree, with 76% of co-founder and creative directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 10% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a co-founder and creative director?

You should major in graphic design to become a co-founder and creative director. 33% of co-founder and creative directors major in graphic design. Other common majors for a co-founder and creative director include photography and communication.

Most common colleges for co-founder and creative directors

Co-founder and creative directors often get their degrees at Savannah College of Art and Design, New York University, and Academy of Art University. Here are the most common colleges for co-founder and creative directors in the US based on their resumes.
Co-founder and creative director common collegePercentages
Savannah College of Art and Design8.97%
New York University7.69%
Academy of Art University6.41%
Art Center College of Design6.41%
Fashion Institute of Technology6.41%

Best majors for co-founder and creative directors

RankMajorPercentages
1Graphic Design32.6%
2Photography7.2%
3Communication7.2%
4Fine Arts6.8%
5Business6.5%

Best colleges for co-founder and creative directors

The best colleges for co-founder and creative directors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A co-founder and creative 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 co-founder and creative 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 co-founder and creative directors.

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

10. University of Maryland - Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$11,778

Enrollment

11,156

20 best online courses for co-founder and creative directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for co-founder and creative directors

The most affordable schools for co-founder and creative directors are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for co-founder and creative 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 co-founder and creative directors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 co-founder and creative directors

The hardest universities for co-founder and creative directors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for co-founder and creative 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 co-founder and creative 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for co-founder and creative directors

The easiest schools for co-founder and creative directors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a co-founder and creative 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 co-founder and creative directors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

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. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average co-founder and creative director salary by education level

Co-founder and creative directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $232,854 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, co-founder and creative directors earn a median annual income of $227,497 compared to $182,853 for co-founder and creative directors with an Associate degree.
Co-founder and creative director education levelCo-founder and creative director salary
Master's Degree$232,854
High School Diploma or Less$161,407
Bachelor's Degree$227,497
Some College/ Associate Degree$182,853

Co-founder and creative director 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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