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Designer/illustrator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a designer/illustrator. Designer/illustrators usually study graphic design, fine arts, or design and visual communication. 71% of designer/illustrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,373 real designer/illustrator resumes to see exactly what designer/illustrator education sections show.
The most common colleges for designer/illustrators are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online designer/illustrator courses to help get the education required to be a designer/illustrator.
There are certain designer/illustrator certifications that you should consider. These designer/illustrator certifications include Certified of Medical Illustrator (CMI) and Certified Agile Developer (CAD).
What education do you need to become a designer/illustrator?
What degree do you need to be a designer/illustrator?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a designer/illustrator?
- Graphic Design, 51%
- Fine Arts, 18%
- Animation, 5%
- Other Majors, 20%
Most common colleges for designer/illustrators
| Designer/illustrator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 12.45% |
| Pratt Institute | 10.30% |
| The University of the Arts | 7.30% |
| Art Center College of Design | 6.87% |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | 6.44% |
Best majors for designer/illustrators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 51.0% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 17.7% |
| 3 | Design And Visual Communication | 5.8% |
| 4 | Animation | 5.1% |
| 5 | Drafting And Design | 2.4% |
Best colleges for designer/illustrators
The best colleges for designer/illustrators are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
A designer/illustrator 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/illustrators. 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/illustrators.
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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for designer/illustrators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for designer/illustrators
The most affordable schools for designer/illustrators are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and fashion institute of technology.
If the best universities for designer/illustrators 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/illustrators.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 designer/illustrators
The hardest universities for designer/illustrators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for designer/illustrators 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/illustrators 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for designer/illustrators
The easiest schools for designer/illustrators to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a designer/illustrator 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/illustrators.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
Average designer/illustrator salary by education level
| Designer/illustrator education level | Designer/illustrator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $59,888 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,887 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,288 |
Designer/illustrator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025