Design manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a design manager. Design managers usually study graphic design, business, or drafting and design. 62% of design managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 7,727 real design manager resumes to see exactly what design manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for design managers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There are also many online design manager courses to help get the education required to be a design manager.

There are certain design manager certifications that you should consider. These design manager certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Master Certified Web Professional - Designer (CWP).

What education do you need to become a design manager?

What degree do you need to be a design manager?

The most common degree for design managers is bachelor's degree, with 62% of design managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Associate, 20%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a design manager?

You should major in graphic design to become a design manager. 21% of design managers major in graphic design. Other common majors for a design manager include business and drafting and design.

Graphic Design, 21%

Business, 11%

Drafting And Design, 9%

Architecture, 7%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for design managers

Design managers often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, University of Cincinnati, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for design managers in the US based on their resumes.

Design manager common college	Percentages
Fashion Institute of Technology	15.03%
University of Cincinnati	6.86%
University of Phoenix	5.88%
Rochester Institute of Technology	5.39%
Michigan State University	5.07%

Show more common design manager colleges

Best majors for design managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Graphic Design	21.0%
2	Business	10.6%
3	Drafting And Design	9.2%
4	Architecture	7.0%
5	Electrical Engineering	6.9%

Show more common design manager majors

Best colleges for design managers

The best colleges for design managers are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A design 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 design 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 design managers.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

20 best online courses for design managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for design managers

The most affordable schools for design managers are United States Merchant Marine Academy, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for design 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 design managers.

1. United States Merchant Marine Academy

Kings Point, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$1,080

Cost of attendance

6,646

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for design managers

The hardest universities for design managers to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for design 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 design 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for design managers

The easiest schools for design managers to get into are Texas A&M; University - Kingsville, notre dame de namur university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a design 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 design managers.

1. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

5. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

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. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average design manager salary by education level

According to our data, design managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $123,452 annually. Design managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $113,195.

Design manager education level	Design manager salary
Master's Degree	$113,195
Bachelor's Degree	$104,656
Doctorate Degree	$123,452

Design manager education FAQs

What is the best college for Design Managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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