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Exhibit artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an exhibit artist. Exhibit artists usually study fine arts, graphic design, or photography. 71% of exhibit artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 396 real exhibit artist resumes to see exactly what exhibit artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for exhibit artists are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online exhibit artist courses to help get the education required to be an exhibit artist.
What education do you need to become an exhibit artist?
What degree do you need to be an exhibit artist?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an exhibit artist?
- Fine Arts, 50%
- Graphic Design, 12%
- Photography, 7%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for exhibit artists
| Exhibit artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 9.62% |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 9.62% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.77% |
| University of Miami | 5.77% |
| Pratt Institute | 5.77% |
Best majors for exhibit artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 50.5% |
| 2 | Graphic Design | 11.9% |
| 3 | Photography | 7.1% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 4.3% |
| 5 | Business | 2.9% |
Best colleges for exhibit artists
The best colleges for exhibit artists are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Duke University.
An exhibit artist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for exhibit artists. 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 exhibit artists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
20 best online courses for exhibit artists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for exhibit artists
The most affordable schools for exhibit artists are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for exhibit artists 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 exhibit artists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for exhibit artists
The hardest universities for exhibit artists to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for exhibit artists 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 exhibit artists 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for exhibit artists
The easiest schools for exhibit artists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an exhibit artist 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 exhibit artists.
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. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average exhibit artist salary by education level
| Exhibit artist education level | Exhibit artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $78,332 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,085 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,268 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,169 |
Exhibit artist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025