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Contract designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a contract designer. Contract designers usually study graphic design, drafting and design, or fine arts. 65% of contract designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,815 real contract designer resumes to see exactly what contract designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for contract designers are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online contract designer courses to help get the education required to be a contract designer.
There are certain contract designer certifications that you should consider. These contract designer certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Master Certified Web Professional - Designer (CWP).
What education do you need to become a contract designer?
What degree do you need to be a contract designer?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 24%
- Master's, 5%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a contract designer?
- Graphic Design, 36%
- Drafting And Design, 12%
- Fine Arts, 7%
- Interior Design, 6%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for contract designers
| Contract designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 9.22% |
| Academy of Art University | 7.37% |
| San Jose State University | 6.91% |
| Ohio State University | 5.99% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 5.53% |
Best majors for contract designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 35.7% |
| 2 | Drafting And Design | 12.4% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 6.8% |
| 4 | Interior Design | 5.5% |
| 5 | Business | 4.6% |
Best colleges for contract designers
The best colleges for contract designers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A contract designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for contract designers. 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 contract designers.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
2. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Ames, IA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,988
Enrollment
29,248
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
20 best online courses for contract designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for contract designers
The most affordable schools for contract designers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for contract designers 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 contract designers.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for contract designers
The hardest universities for contract designers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for contract designers 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 contract designers 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for contract designers
The easiest schools for contract designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a contract designer 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 contract designers.
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. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
9. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average contract designer salary by education level
| Contract designer education level | Contract designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,157 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,720 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,094 |
Contract designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025