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Design specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a design specialist. Design specialists usually study graphic design, business, or interior design. 62% of design specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,980 real design specialist resumes to see exactly what design specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for design specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online design specialist courses to help get the education required to be a design specialist.
There are certain design specialist certifications that you should consider. These design specialist certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Master Certified Web Professional - Designer (CWP).
What education do you need to become a design specialist?
What degree do you need to be a design specialist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 22%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a design specialist?
- Graphic Design, 17%
- Business, 14%
- Interior Design, 9%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for design specialists
| Design specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.65% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.10% |
| University of Houston | 7.10% |
| Michigan State University | 6.13% |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | 5.48% |
Best majors for design specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 17.0% |
| 2 | Business | 13.5% |
| 3 | Interior Design | 9.3% |
| 4 | Drafting And Design | 8.7% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.9% |
Best colleges for design specialists
The best colleges for design specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and Stanford University.
A design specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for design specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for design specialists
The most affordable schools for design specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, fashion institute of technology, and florida international university.
If the best universities for design specialists 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 specialists.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for design specialists
The hardest universities for design specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for design specialists 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 specialists 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for design specialists
The easiest schools for design specialists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a design specialist 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 specialists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average design specialist salary by education level
| Design specialist education level | Design specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,500 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,295 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,069 |
Design specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025