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Collections curator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a collections curator. Collections curators usually study history, fine arts, or museum studies. 68% of collections curators hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 171 real collections curator resumes to see exactly what collections curator education sections show.
The most common colleges for collections curators are the Olivet Nazarene University and the Olivet Nazarene University.
There are also many online collections curator courses to help get the education required to be a collections curator.
What education do you need to become a collections curator?
What degree do you need to be a collections curator?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 1%
What should I major in to become a collections curator?
- History, 21%
- Fine Arts, 15%
- Museum Studies, 9%
- Anthropology, 7%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for collections curators
| Collections curator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Olivet Nazarene University | 8.70% |
| Eastern Illinois University | 8.70% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.52% |
| University of Wyoming | 6.52% |
| Saint Cloud State University | 6.52% |
Best majors for collections curators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History | 21.3% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 14.9% |
| 3 | Museum Studies | 8.5% |
| 4 | Anthropology | 7.1% |
| 5 | Biology | 6.4% |
Best colleges for collections curators
The best colleges for collections curators are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University.
A collections 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 collections 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 collections 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. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for collections curators
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1. AWS: Data Collection Systems
AWS: Data Collection Systems Course is the first course of the AWS Certified Data Analytics Speciality Specialization. This Course is designed to describe data collection systems and their characteristics in detail. This course is basically divided into three modules and each module is further segmented by Lessons and Video Lectures. This course facilitates learners with approximately 3:30-4:00 Hours Video lectures that provide both Theory and Hands -On knowledge. Also, Graded and Ungraded Quiz...
2. Survey Data Collection and Analytics
This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...
3. Java Collections from basics to Advanced
Data Structure using Java Collection Framework - Including Concurrent Collections, Streams, Generics, Parallel Streams...
4. Introduction to Collections, Generics & Reflection in Java
A Guide to Understand Generics, Collections Framework (Data Structures), Stream API and Reflection in Java!...
5. Framework for Data Collection and Analysis
This course will provide you with an overview over existing data products and a good understanding of the data collection landscape. With the help of various examples you will learn how to identify which data sources likely matches your research question, how to turn your research question into measurable pieces, and how to think about an analysis plan. Furthermore this course will provide you with a general framework that allows you to not only understand each step required for a successful...
6. Teaching Impacts of Technology: Data Collection, Use, and Privacy
In this course you’ll focus on how constant data collection and big data analysis have impacted us, exploring the interplay between using your data and protecting it, as well as thinking about what it could do for you in the future. This will be done through a series of paired teaching sections, exploring a specific “Impact of Computing” in your typical day and the “Technologies and Computing Concepts” that enable that impact, all at a K12-appropriate level. This course is part of a larger...
7. Java Collections Framework + Generics, Lambdas & Stream API
Learn Java Collections Framework from scratch to PRO level with practical exercises...
8. How To Create A Fashion Collection and Launch Your Own Brand
Designing a Fashion Line. A step-by-step Comprehensive Guide for Mastering Fashion Designing: from Inspiration to Market...
9. Google Cloud Database Engineer
A Database Engineer designs, creates, manages, migrates, and troubleshoots databases used by applications to store and retrieve data. This learning path guides you through a curated collection of on-demand courses, labs, and skill badges that provide you with real-world, hands-on experience using Google Cloud technologies essential to the Database Engineer role. Once you complete the path, check out our catalog for 700+ labs and courses to keep going on your professional journey...
10. Modern Art & Ideas
Welcome to Modern Art & Ideas! This course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about modern and contemporary art. Over the next five weeks, you will look at art through a variety of themes: Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society. Each week kicks off with a video that connects works of art from The Museum of Modern Art’s collection to the theme. You will hear audio interviews with artists, designers, and curators and learn more about...
11. Complete KoboToolbox Training Course
Learn the basic & advanced techniques of developing & deploying mobile survey data collection forms with Kobo Toolbox...
12. Database Design
Learn relational database Design with practical concepts and examples. This series works with any database system!...
13. Algorithms, Data Collection, and Starting to Code
This course starts you on your journey learning about computational thinking and beginning C programming. If you’d like to explore how we can interact with the world in a rigorous, computational way, and would also like to start learning to program, this is the course for you! You may have heard lots of talk about computational thinking recently, but if you ask 10 different people what it is you’ll probably get 10 different answers. Rather than trying to define computational thinking, we’ll...
14. Data Collection and Processing with Python
This course teaches you to fetch and process data from services on the Internet. It covers Python list comprehensions and provides opportunities to practice extracting from and processing deeply nested data. You'll also learn how to use the Python requests module to interact with REST APIs and what to look for in documentation of those APIs. For the final project, you will construct a “tag recommender” for the flickr photo sharing site. The course is well-suited for you if you have already...
15. Database Management System from scratch - Part 2
Learn Database Management Systems from scratch as Database Management System forms the core of computer science...
16. Database Management System from scratch - Part 1
Learn Database Management Systems from scratch as Database Management System forms the core of computer science...
17. Database Management Systems - MySQL
Database Management Systems - My SQL...
18. Advanced Google Analytics 4 Implementation with Tag Manager
Learn advanced GA4 custom data collection, customization, ecommerce implementation with Google Tag Manager...
19. MySQL Database Administration: Beginner SQL Database Design
Learn Database Design with My SQL Workbench. SQL DBA for Beginners: A Relational Database Management System Introduction...
20. Databases with Python: MySQL, SQLite & MongoDB with Python
Learn and understand how to work with SQL and No SQL Databases with the Python Programming Language...
Top 10 most affordable universities for collections curators
The most affordable schools for collections curators are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for collections 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 collections curators.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
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 State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for collections curators
The hardest universities for collections curators to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University.
Some great schools for collections 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 collections 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. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
7. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for collections curators
The easiest schools for collections curators to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, william paterson university of new jersey, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a collections 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 collections curators.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
Average collections curator salary by education level
| Collections curator education level | Collections curator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,454 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,121 |
Collections curator education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025