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Design director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a design director. Design directors usually study graphic design, fine arts, or architecture. 73% of design directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,102 real design director resumes to see exactly what design director education sections show.
The most common colleges for design directors are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online design director courses to help get the education required to be a design director.
There are certain design director certifications that you should consider. These design director certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Master Certified Web Professional - Designer (CWP).
What education do you need to become a design director?
What degree do you need to be a design director?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 12%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a design director?
- Graphic Design, 40%
- Fine Arts, 12%
- Architecture, 6%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for design directors
| Design director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 24.66% |
| School of Visual Arts | 7.55% |
| Pratt Institute | 6.74% |
| Syracuse University | 6.60% |
| Art Center College of Design | 5.80% |
Best majors for design directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 40.1% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 12.0% |
| 3 | Architecture | 6.1% |
| 4 | Business | 5.8% |
| 5 | Interior Design | 5.6% |
Best colleges for design directors
The best colleges for design directors are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
A design director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for design directors. 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 design directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for design directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for design directors
The most affordable schools for design directors are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for design directors 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 design directors.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Cost of attendance
20,422
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for design directors
The hardest universities for design directors to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for design directors 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 design directors 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for design directors
The easiest schools for design directors to get into are Notre Dame College, notre dame de namur university, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a design director 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 design directors.
1. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
5. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
6. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
7. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Longwood University
Farmville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,065
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average design director salary by education level
| Design director education level | Design director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $167,233 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $148,433 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $128,073 |
Design director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025