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Custom designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a custom designer. Custom designers usually study graphic design, business, or fine arts. 50% of custom designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,763 real custom designer resumes to see exactly what custom designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for custom designers are the The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and the The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
There are also many online custom designer courses to help get the education required to be a custom designer.
There are certain custom designer certifications that you should consider. These custom designer certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Certified Floral Designer (CFD).
What education do you need to become a custom designer?
What degree do you need to be a custom designer?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a custom designer?
- Graphic Design, 26%
- Business, 14%
- Fine Arts, 8%
- Interior Design, 7%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for custom designers
| Custom designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 10.58% |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 6.73% |
| Academy of Art University | 5.77% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 5.77% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.77% |
Best majors for custom designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 25.6% |
| 2 | Business | 14.2% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 8.1% |
| 4 | Interior Design | 7.0% |
| 5 | Psychology | 4.7% |
Best colleges for custom designers
The best colleges for custom designers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A custom designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for custom designers. 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 custom designers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for custom designers
Advertising disclosure
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Top 10 most affordable universities for custom designers
The most affordable schools for custom designers are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for custom designers 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 custom designers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for custom designers
The hardest universities for custom designers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for custom designers 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 custom designers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for custom designers
The easiest schools for custom designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, notre dame college, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a custom designer 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 custom designers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average custom designer salary by education level
| Custom designer education level | Custom designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,302 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,891 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,777 |
Custom designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025