Designer and patternmaker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a designer and patternmaker. Designer and patternmakers usually study graphic design, apparel and textiles, or fine arts. 52% of designer and patternmakers hold a associate degree, and 43% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 166 real designer and patternmaker resumes to see exactly what designer and patternmaker education sections show.

The most common colleges for designer and patternmakers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There are also many online designer and patternmaker courses to help get the education required to be a designer and patternmaker.

What education do you need to become a designer and patternmaker?

What degree do you need to be a designer and patternmaker?

The most common degree for designer and patternmakers is associate degree, with 52% of designer and patternmakers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 43% and bachelor's degree degree at 2%.

Associate, 52%

Bachelor's, 43%

High School Diploma, 2%

Diploma, 2%

What should I major in to become a designer and patternmaker?

You should major in graphic design to become a designer and patternmaker. 57% of designer and patternmakers major in graphic design. Other common majors for a designer and patternmaker include apparel and textiles and fine arts.

Graphic Design, 57%

Apparel And Textiles, 5%

Fine Arts, 5%

Business, 4%

Other Majors, 29%

Most common colleges for designer and patternmakers

Designer and patternmakers often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco, and Moore College of Art and Design. Here are the most common colleges for designer and patternmakers in the US based on their resumes.

Designer and patternmaker common college	Percentages
Fashion Institute of Technology	45.76%
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco	10.17%
Moore College of Art and Design	5.08%
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising	5.08%
Pratt Institute	5.08%

Show more common designer and patternmaker colleges

Best majors for designer and patternmakers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Graphic Design	57.1%
2	Apparel And Textiles	5.5%
3	Fine Arts	5.5%
4	Business	4.4%
5	Drafting And Design	4.4%

Show more common designer and patternmaker majors

Best colleges for designer and patternmakers

The best colleges for designer and patternmakers are Cornell University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A designer and patternmaker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for designer and patternmakers. 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 designer and patternmakers.

1. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

8. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

20 best online courses for designer and patternmakers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for designer and patternmakers

The most affordable schools for designer and patternmakers are Fashion Institute of Technology, suny farmingdale, and florida state university.

If the best universities for designer and patternmakers 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 designer and patternmakers.

1. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

8. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Cost of attendance

25,228

10. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Cost of attendance

23,600

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for designer and patternmakers

The hardest universities for designer and patternmakers to get into are Cornell University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for designer and patternmakers 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 designer and patternmakers 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. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

5. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

6. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,465

7. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,365

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

10. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,336

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for designer and patternmakers

The easiest schools for designer and patternmakers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of the incarnate word, and lim college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a designer and patternmaker 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 designer and patternmakers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

4. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average designer and patternmaker salary by education level

Designer and patternmakers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $80,694 annually. With a Associate degree, designer and patternmakers earn a median annual income of $70,988 compared to $58,693 for designer and patternmakers with an High School Diploma degree.

Designer and patternmaker education level	Designer and patternmaker salary
High School Diploma or Less	$58,693
Bachelor's Degree	$80,694
Some College/ Associate Degree	$70,988

Designer and patternmaker education FAQs

What is the best college for Designer And Patternmakers?

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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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