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Creative assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a creative assistant. Creative assistants usually study graphic design, communication, or fine arts. 77% of creative assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,418 real creative assistant resumes to see exactly what creative assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for creative assistants are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online creative assistant courses to help get the education required to be a creative assistant.
What education do you need to become a creative assistant?
What degree do you need to be a creative assistant?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a creative assistant?
- Graphic Design, 17%
- Communication, 12%
- Fine Arts, 10%
- Photography, 9%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for creative assistants
| Creative assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 10.00% |
| New York University | 8.00% |
| Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco | 7.33% |
| Syracuse University | 6.00% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.00% |
Best majors for creative assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 17.1% |
| 2 | Communication | 12.4% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 9.6% |
| 4 | Photography | 9.2% |
| 5 | Business | 7.1% |
Best colleges for creative assistants
The best colleges for creative assistants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A creative assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for creative assistants. 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 creative assistants.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
20 best online courses for creative assistants
Advertising disclosure
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Top 10 most affordable universities for creative assistants
The most affordable schools for creative assistants are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and queens college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for creative assistants 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 creative assistants.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for creative assistants
The hardest universities for creative assistants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for creative assistants 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 creative assistants 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for creative assistants
The easiest schools for creative assistants 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 creative assistant 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 creative assistants.
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. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
Average creative assistant salary by education level
| Creative assistant education level | Creative assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,248 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,653 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,341 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,234 |
Creative assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025