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Comic book artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a comic book artist. Comic book artists usually study graphic design, fine arts, or animation. 66% of comic book artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 184 real comic book artist resumes to see exactly what comic book artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for comic book artists are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online comic book artist courses to help get the education required to be a comic book artist.
What education do you need to become a comic book artist?
What degree do you need to be a comic book artist?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a comic book artist?
- Graphic Design, 20%
- Fine Arts, 18%
- Animation, 10%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for comic book artists
| Comic book artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 11.11% |
| School of Visual Arts | 11.11% |
| The University of the Arts | 11.11% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 11.11% |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 5.56% |
Best majors for comic book artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 20.2% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 18.3% |
| 3 | Animation | 9.6% |
| 4 | Entertainment Business | 5.8% |
| 5 | Visual And Performing Arts | 5.8% |
Best colleges for comic book artists
The best colleges for comic book artists are Harvard University, Duke University, and Northwestern University.
A comic book artist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for comic book artists. 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 comic book artists.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for comic book artists
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1. Comic Book and Graphic Novel Scriptwriting
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5. How To MAKE Comics - The Essential Guide
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6. Writing Comics: A Comprehensive Guide
Learn the ins and outs of writing comic books from a seasoned pro...
7. Character Design for Beginners
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8. Complete Book Writing Course From Idea To Published Book
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9. Learn Digital Color with Photoshop
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10. How to Draw Comic Style Artwork - From Sketch to Rendering
Learn the Art of Drawing in a Traditional Comic Style Step by Step...
11. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects
Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...
12. eBook and Paperback Book Cover Design Using Canva and Gimp
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13. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...
14. Publish Your Children's Picture Book
Step-by-step instruction guides you to write, revise, illustrate, design, and publish your children's picture book...
15. Ultimate Beginners Cartooning Course: Basic Characters
A complete beginners guide to creating cartoon style characters for comics , books, games and illustration...
16. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers
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18. Affinity Designer- Design artistic text and Create Fonts
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19. Figure Drawing Foundations Proportions
The Ultimate Guide to Drawing Characters in Proportion...
20. Write A Book - Share Your Story
Write, Self Publish and Market your Non-Fiction Book, Launch on Amazon and Learn How to Become a Best Seller on Kindle...
Top 10 most affordable universities for comic book artists
The most affordable schools for comic book artists are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for comic book artists 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 comic book artists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 comic book artists
The hardest universities for comic book artists to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for comic book artists 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 comic book artists 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for comic book artists
The easiest schools for comic book artists 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 comic book artist 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 comic book artists.
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. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
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. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
10. Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Weatherford, OK • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,085
Average comic book artist salary by education level
| Comic book artist education level | Comic book artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,862 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $60,602 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,114 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $69,265 |
Comic book artist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025