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Commercial art instructor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a commercial art instructor. Commercial art instructors usually study graphic design, fine arts, or communication. 67% of commercial art instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 33 real commercial art instructor resumes to see exactly what commercial art instructor education sections show.

The most common colleges for commercial art instructors are the Martin Luther College and the Martin Luther College.

There are also many online commercial art instructor courses to help get the education required to be a commercial art instructor.

What education do you need to become a commercial art instructor?

What degree do you need to be a commercial art instructor?

The most common degree for commercial art instructors is bachelor's degree, with 67% of commercial art instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Associate, 19%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a commercial art instructor?

You should major in graphic design to become a commercial art instructor. 38% of commercial art instructors major in graphic design. Other common majors for a commercial art instructor include fine arts and communication.

Most common colleges for commercial art instructors

Commercial art instructors often get their degrees at Martin Luther College, Briarcliffe College, and Omaha. Here are the most common colleges for commercial art instructors in the US based on their resumes.
Commercial art instructor common collegePercentages
Martin Luther College5.88%
Briarcliffe College5.88%
Omaha5.88%
Purdue University5.88%
University of Central Missouri5.88%

Best majors for commercial art instructors

RankMajorPercentages
1Graphic Design38.1%
2Fine Arts19.0%
3Communication9.5%
4Psychology4.8%
5Entertainment Business4.8%

Best colleges for commercial art instructors

The best colleges for commercial art instructors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

A commercial art instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for commercial art instructors. 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 commercial art instructors.

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

10. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

20 best online courses for commercial art instructors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for commercial art instructors

The most affordable schools for commercial art instructors are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for commercial art instructors 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 commercial art instructors.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for commercial art instructors

The hardest universities for commercial art instructors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for commercial art instructors 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 commercial art instructors 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for commercial art instructors

The easiest schools for commercial art instructors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a commercial art instructor 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 commercial art instructors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average commercial art instructor salary by education level

According to our data, commercial art instructors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $53,144 annually. Commercial art instructors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $43,930.
Commercial art instructor education levelCommercial art instructor salary
Master's Degree$43,930
Doctorate Degree$53,144

Commercial art instructor 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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