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Design teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a design teacher. Design teachers usually study graphic design, fine arts, or general education, specific areas. 66% of design teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 390 real design teacher resumes to see exactly what design teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for design teachers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online design teacher courses to help get the education required to be a design teacher.
What education do you need to become a design teacher?
What degree do you need to be a design teacher?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a design teacher?
- Graphic Design, 20%
- Fine Arts, 15%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for design teachers
| Design teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 12.73% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.27% |
| Rhode Island School of Design | 7.27% |
| Syracuse University | 5.45% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 5.45% |
Best majors for design teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 19.5% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 15.2% |
| 3 | General Education, Specific Areas | 8.1% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 8.1% |
| 5 | Education | 6.7% |
Best colleges for design teachers
The best colleges for design teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A design teacher 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 teachers. 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 teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for design teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for design teachers
The most affordable schools for design teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for design teachers 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 teachers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
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. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 design teachers
The hardest universities for design teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for design teachers 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 teachers 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for design teachers
The easiest schools for design teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a design teacher 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 teachers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
6. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
10. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
Average design teacher salary by education level
| Design teacher education level | Design teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,023 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,821 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,653 |
Design teacher 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