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Curator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a curator. Curators usually study fine arts, history, or communication. 70% of curators hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,291 real curator resumes to see exactly what curator education sections show.
The most common colleges for curators are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online curator courses to help get the education required to be a curator.
What education do you need to become a curator?
What degree do you need to be a curator?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a curator?
- Fine Arts, 31%
- History, 8%
- Communication, 6%
- Photography, 6%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for curators
| Curator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 11.79% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.14% |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 6.43% |
| Michigan State University | 5.36% |
| Syracuse University | 5.00% |
Best majors for curators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 31.2% |
| 2 | History | 8.0% |
| 3 | Communication | 6.4% |
| 4 | Photography | 5.9% |
| 5 | Biology | 5.1% |
Best colleges for curators
The best colleges for curators are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University.
A curator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for curators. 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 curators.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
7. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for curators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for curators
The most affordable schools for curators are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for curators 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 curators.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for curators
The hardest universities for curators to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University.
Some great schools for curators 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 curators 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for curators
The easiest schools for curators to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, saint joseph's college of maine, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a curator 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 curators.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
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. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average curator salary by education level
| Curator education level | Curator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,322 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,556 |
Curator education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025