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Color expert education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a color expert. Color experts usually study cosmetology, business, or specialized sales and merchandising. 46% of color experts hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 123 real color expert resumes to see exactly what color expert education sections show.

The most common colleges for color experts are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online color expert courses to help get the education required to be a color expert.

What education do you need to become a color expert?

What degree do you need to be a color expert?

The most common degree for color experts is bachelor's degree, with 46% of color experts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 15%.
  • Bachelor's, 46%
  • Associate, 15%
  • High School Diploma, 15%
  • Master's, 10%
  • Other Degrees, 14%

What should I major in to become a color expert?

You should major in cosmetology to become a color expert. 21% of color experts major in cosmetology. Other common majors for a color expert include business and specialized sales and merchandising.

Most common colleges for color experts

Color experts often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Fashion Institute of Technology, and Manhattan College. Here are the most common colleges for color experts in the US based on their resumes.
Color expert common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix9.09%
Fashion Institute of Technology9.09%
Manhattan College4.55%
Hunter College of the City University of New York4.55%
California State University - San Marcos4.55%

Best majors for color experts

Best colleges for color experts

The best colleges for color experts are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A color expert 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 experts. 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 experts.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for color experts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for color experts

The most affordable schools for color experts are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.

If the best universities for color experts 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 experts.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

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 color experts

The hardest universities for color experts to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for color experts 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 experts 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for color experts

The easiest schools for color experts to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and curry college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a color expert 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 experts.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

Average color expert salary by education level

According to our data, color experts with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $71,169 annually. Color experts with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $63,499.
Color expert education levelColor expert salary
Master's Degree$63,499
Bachelor's Degree$57,298
Doctorate Degree$71,169
Some College/ Associate Degree$51,056

Color expert 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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