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Creative lead education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a creative lead. Creative leads usually study graphic design, communication, or fine arts. 77% of creative leads hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 991 real creative lead resumes to see exactly what creative lead education sections show.
The most common colleges for creative leads are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online creative lead courses to help get the education required to be a creative lead.
What education do you need to become a creative lead?
What degree do you need to be a creative lead?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a creative lead?
- Graphic Design, 28%
- Communication, 9%
- Fine Arts, 8%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for creative leads
| Creative lead common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 11.30% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 10.43% |
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 6.09% |
| School of Visual Arts | 6.09% |
| Academy of Art University | 5.22% |
Best majors for creative leads
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 27.7% |
| 2 | Communication | 9.1% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 8.1% |
| 4 | Business | 6.9% |
| 5 | Photography | 5.8% |
Best colleges for creative leads
The best colleges for creative leads are Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and Northwestern University.
A creative lead 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 leads. 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 leads.
1. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
2. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
4. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
6. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$32,144
Enrollment
2,914
10. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for creative leads
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4. Marketing Analytics
Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
5. Creativity And Entrepreneurship
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6. Creativity Toolkit II: Creative Collaboration
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7. 365 Days of Creativity
A totally new learning experience that will teach you 365 creative skills...
8. Adobe Creative Cloud Ultimate Guide
Adobe Creative Cloud Ultimate A-Z Guide. Go From Basic to Advanced with Creative Cloud and 10 Projects From Scratch...
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11. Creativity, Design Thinking, and Innovation for Business
Creativity that Create an Innovative Corporate Culture Using Design Thinking & Problem Solving for the Workplace...
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Gain real-world experience running live campaigns as you learn from top experts in the field. Launch your career with a 360-degree understanding of digital marketing...
14. AI for Business Leaders
Master the foundations of artificial intelligence so you can strategically implement AI in your company. Leverage machine learning technologies to power corporate growth, increase efficiency, and enhance customer experiences...
15. Creative Thinking: How to Think More Creatively
Learn to Use Mind Mapping and Creative Problem Solving...
16. Disciplined Dreaming: Lead Breakthrough Creativity at Work
Use Josh Linkner's Disciplined Dreaming system to learn how to use creativity & innovation to drive results...
17. Business Analytics
In this program, you will learn foundational data skills that apply across functions and industries. You will learn to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
18. AI Product Manager
Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world...
19. Creative Thinking Exercises: Improve Your Creative Thinking
Creative exercises to boost your creativity and brainstorm new ideas with design thinking, writing & drawing exercises...
20. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign
Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...
Top 10 most affordable universities for creative leads
The most affordable schools for creative leads are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and florida state university.
If the best universities for creative leads 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 leads.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for creative leads
The hardest universities for creative leads to get into are Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for creative leads 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 leads 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
5. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
6. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
1,365
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for creative leads
The easiest schools for creative leads to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, mount saint mary's university, and lim college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a creative lead 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 leads.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
4. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,102
Average creative lead salary by education level
| Creative lead education level | Creative lead salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $120,126 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $99,164 |
| Doctorate Degree | $128,542 |
Creative lead education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025