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Designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a designer. Designers usually study graphic design, drafting and design, or fine arts. 61% of designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 48,573 real designer resumes to see exactly what designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for designers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online designer courses to help get the education required to be a designer.
There are certain designer certifications that you should consider. These designer certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Certified Agile Developer (CAD).
What education do you need to become a designer?
What degree do you need to be a designer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 24%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a designer?
- Graphic Design, 30%
- Drafting And Design, 12%
- Fine Arts, 8%
- Interior Design, 7%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for designers
| Designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 19.43% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 9.02% |
| Pratt Institute | 6.49% |
| School of Visual Arts | 5.34% |
| Rhode Island School of Design | 4.75% |
Best majors for designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 29.5% |
| 2 | Drafting And Design | 11.8% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 8.3% |
| 4 | Interior Design | 7.1% |
| 5 | Architecture | 5.9% |
Best colleges for designers
The best colleges for designers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
A designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for designers. 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 designers.
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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for designers
Advertising disclosure
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Launch a future-proof career designing digital experiences that power revenue, user loyalty, and product success. Distinguish yourself as a designer by compiling a portfolio to showcase solo, group, and client projects to employers based on UI design and Agile methodologies...
2. User Experience Design (Part Time)
Translate user wants and needs into intuitive digital experiences that power revenue, loyalty, and product success. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex design problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
3. UX Designer
Design impactful user experiences for products in today’s digital world. Build a portfolio that showcases your ability to transform user research to high-fidelity interactive designs...
4. Product Design
Learn the steps you need to turn an idea into reality. By the end of this course you’ll learn how to bring an idea from concept to hand off for development and onto creation of a prototype...
5. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process
Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...
6. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...
7. Visual Design (Part Time)
Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
8. Intro to UX Design
Are you interested in UX Design, but have no prior experience or an idea of where to start? You’ve come to the right place! In this two-hour livestream, we’ll explore the decision-making process that separates a good user experience from a great one, and learn some tools that you can implement in your own UX process today. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to begin your UX Design journey!...
9. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners
Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...
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Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...
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Up Your Graphic Design Skills: Logo Design, Photo Manipulation, Package Design, Infographics, Portfolio Building, Grids!...
14. Logo Design Mastery In Adobe Illustrator
Learn Logo Design Theory, The Creative Process, How to Work With Clients & Master Adobe Illustrator Tools...
15. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers
Icon Set Design, E-book cover, Digitizing Sketches, Social Media Design, Wordpress Web Design, Adobe Xd, GIFS and more!...
16. The Branding Masterclass The Entire Brand Design Process
Sketching, Graphic Design, Logo Design, Brand Voice, Color & Typographic Systems, Portfolio and Client Presentations...
17. Logo Design Masterclass: Learn Logo Design and Illustrator
Learn logo design by applying principles and techniques in Adobe Illustrator CC and Dimension CC. For beginners + more...
18. Become A Logo Designer
Logos are all around us. Learn the core skills needed to build a career or business around logo design...
19. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects
Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...
20. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
Bestselling Beginner Course! Use Photoshop, Illustrator, & In Design for logo design, web design, poster design, and more...
Top 10 most affordable universities for designers
The most affordable schools for designers are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for designers 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 designers.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Cost of attendance
20,422
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for designers
The hardest universities for designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for designers 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 designers 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for designers
The easiest schools for designers to get into are Notre Dame College, notre dame de namur university, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a designer 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 designers.
1. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
5. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
6. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
7. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Longwood University
Farmville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,065
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average designer salary by education level
| Designer education level | Designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $79,881 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,562 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $64,428 |
Designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025