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Color developer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a color developer. Color developers usually study graphic design, specialized sales and merchandising, or apparel and textiles. 53% of color developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 24 real color developer resumes to see exactly what color developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for color developers are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.
There are also many online color developer courses to help get the education required to be a color developer.
What education do you need to become a color developer?
What degree do you need to be a color developer?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Associate, 33%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Diploma, 7%
What should I major in to become a color developer?
- Graphic Design, 19%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for color developers
| Color developer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin | 9.09% |
| Arapahoe Community College | 9.09% |
| North Seattle Community College | 9.09% |
| New York Academy of Art | 9.09% |
| Emory University | 9.09% |
Best majors for color developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 18.8% |
| 2 | Specialized Sales And Merchandising | 12.5% |
| 3 | Apparel And Textiles | 6.3% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.3% |
| 5 | Business | 6.3% |
Best colleges for color developers
The best colleges for color developers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A color developer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for color developers. 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 color developers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
20 best online courses for color developers
Advertising disclosure
1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)
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3. Programming for Data Science with R
Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...
4. Full Stack Web Developer
Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...
5. Premiere Pro Lumetri 2020: Color Correct & Color Grade
Start learning Color Correction and Color Grading in this complete beginners class...
6. The Psychology of Color in Game Design & Development
Comprehensive Theory/Psychology Course that Analyzes how Color can affect a Player's Emotion, Actions and Thinking!...
7. Data Science (Part Time)
Create robust predictive models with statistics and Python programming. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex machine learning problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
8. Python Programming (Part Time)
Gain fluency in Python — the world's fastest-growing major programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build web and data science applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
9. Android Kotlin Developer
Master Android app development with Kotlin, a modern programming language that enables developers to be more concise and productive. Build professional apps for the world's most popular mobile platform using Android Studio and Kotlin...
10. Artificial Intelligence for Trading
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11. Color Theory for Designers
Get Inspired by Color for Graphic Design...
12. Premiere Pro Lumetri: Color Correct like a Pro
Learn the essentials of color philosophy and perform technical color correction and grading tasks...
13. Front-End Web Development (Part Time)
Start building responsive websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — a versatile skill set with powerful applications in a variety of design, marketing, and other tech-adjacent roles. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
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Gain fluency in JavaScript — the world's most popular programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build rich, interactive websites and applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
15. Data Engineer
Learn to design data models, build data warehouses and data lakes, automate data pipelines, and work with massive datasets...
16. iOS Developer
Master the Swift programming language, and create a portfolio of iOS apps for iPhone and iPad to showcase your skills!...
17. The Beginner's Guide to Color Theory for Digital Artists
Let's go beyond the color wheel. Learn how to practically apply color theory to your art & stop being afraid of color!...
18. Graphic Design Theory - Color & Contrast
Use Color And Contrast Masterfully In Your Design Projects...
19. React Development (Part Time)
Expand your JavaScript programming skills, and boost your profile at work — and on the job market. Learn to build sophisticated, scalable web applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
20. Intro to Coding
Discover if coding is a career fit for you In this free, two-hour livestream, explore the building blocks of the web — HTML and CSS — and learn how you can apply these programming languages to develop your own simple sites. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to write your first line of code!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for color developers
The most affordable schools for color developers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for color developers 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 color developers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for color developers
The hardest universities for color developers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for color developers 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 color developers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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 color developers
The easiest schools for color developers to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a color developer 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 color developers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
Average color developer salary by education level
| Color developer education level | Color developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,835 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,066 |
| Doctorate Degree | $106,788 |
Color developer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025