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Creative project manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a creative project manager. Creative project managers usually study graphic design, communication, or business. 80% of creative project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 803 real creative project manager resumes to see exactly what creative project manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for creative project managers are the University of Southern California and the University of Southern California.
There are also many online creative project manager courses to help get the education required to be a creative project manager.
What education do you need to become a creative project manager?
What degree do you need to be a creative project manager?
- Bachelor's, 80%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a creative project manager?
- Graphic Design, 17%
- Communication, 13%
- Business, 11%
- Marketing, 9%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for creative project managers
| Creative project manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Southern California | 8.41% |
| The New School | 7.48% |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 6.54% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.54% |
| Arizona State University | 5.61% |
Best majors for creative project managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 17.4% |
| 2 | Communication | 13.0% |
| 3 | Business | 11.4% |
| 4 | Marketing | 9.4% |
| 5 | Fine Arts | 6.8% |
Best colleges for creative project managers
The best colleges for creative project managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A creative project manager 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 project managers. 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 project managers.
1. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
3. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for creative project managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for creative project managers
The most affordable schools for creative project managers are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.
If the best universities for creative project managers 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 project managers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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 project managers
The hardest universities for creative project managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for creative project managers 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 project managers 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for creative project managers
The easiest schools for creative project managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a creative project manager 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 project managers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average creative project manager salary by education level
| Creative project manager education level | Creative project manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $88,707 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $78,243 |
| Doctorate Degree | $92,727 |
Creative project manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025