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Costume specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a costume specialist. Costume specialists usually study theatre, graphic design, or specialized sales and merchandising. 53% of costume specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 130 real costume specialist resumes to see exactly what costume specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for costume specialists are the Valencia College and the Valencia College.

There are also many online costume specialist courses to help get the education required to be a costume specialist.

What education do you need to become a costume specialist?

What degree do you need to be a costume specialist?

The most common degree for costume specialists is bachelor's degree, with 53% of costume specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 53%
  • Associate, 20%
  • High School Diploma, 14%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a costume specialist?

You should major in theatre to become a costume specialist. 15% of costume specialists major in theatre. Other common majors for a costume specialist include graphic design and specialized sales and merchandising.

Most common colleges for costume specialists

Costume specialists often get their degrees at Valencia College, University of Central Florida, and Webster University. Here are the most common colleges for costume specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Costume specialist common collegePercentages
Valencia College20.69%
University of Central Florida10.34%
Webster University6.90%
Sacred Heart University6.90%
Pfeiffer University3.45%

Best majors for costume specialists

Best colleges for costume specialists

The best colleges for costume specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A costume specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for costume specialists. 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 costume specialists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

20 best online courses for costume specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for costume specialists

The most affordable schools for costume specialists are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for costume specialists 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 costume specialists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for costume specialists

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

Some great schools for costume specialists 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 costume specialists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for costume specialists

The easiest schools for costume specialists 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 costume specialist 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 costume specialists.

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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average costume specialist salary by education level

Costume specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $56,179 annually. With a Associate degree, costume specialists earn a median annual income of $48,165 compared to $46,719 for costume specialists with an High School Diploma degree.
Costume specialist education levelCostume specialist salary
High School Diploma or Less$46,719
Bachelor's Degree$56,179
Some College/ Associate Degree$48,165

Costume specialist 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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