Post job

Exhibit preparator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an exhibit preparator. Exhibit preparators usually study fine arts, psychology, or history. 78% of exhibit preparators hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 50 real exhibit preparator resumes to see exactly what exhibit preparator education sections show.

The most common colleges for exhibit preparators are the East Tennessee State University and the East Tennessee State University.

There are also many online exhibit preparator courses to help get the education required to be an exhibit preparator.

What education do you need to become an exhibit preparator?

What degree do you need to be an exhibit preparator?

The most common degree for exhibit preparators is bachelor's degree, with 78% of exhibit preparators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 8%

What should I major in to become an exhibit preparator?

You should major in fine arts to become an exhibit preparator. 40% of exhibit preparators major in fine arts. Other common majors for an exhibit preparator include psychology and history.

Most common colleges for exhibit preparators

Exhibit preparators often get their degrees at East Tennessee State University, California State University - Fullerton, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for exhibit preparators in the US based on their resumes.
Exhibit preparator common collegePercentages
East Tennessee State University9.52%
California State University - Fullerton4.76%
School of the Art Institute of Chicago4.76%
National University4.76%
Carnegie Mellon University4.76%

Best majors for exhibit preparators

RankMajorPercentages
1Fine Arts40.0%
2Psychology7.5%
3History5.0%
4Anthropology5.0%
5Criminal Justice5.0%

Best colleges for exhibit preparators

The best colleges for exhibit preparators are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Tufts University.

An exhibit preparator 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 preparators. 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 preparators.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$54,450

Enrollment

2,550

20 best online courses for exhibit preparators

Advertising disclosure

1. Leadership

coursera

In this course, you will develop and strengthen your capacity to lead and recognize leadership exhibited by others in your organization. The professional business skills related to leadership gained through this course will help you to succeed working in any organization...

2. Computational Thinking for K-12 Educators: Sequences and Loops

coursera

How do we give instructions to a computer? Isn't programming hard? Not really! Whether it's giving someone directions to a nearby store or writing out some dance moves we frequently exhibit aspects of computational thinking in our everyday lives! This class teaches the first key concepts of programming -- sequences of instructions and basic counted repetition of instructions. For each concept, we'll start by helping you connect real-world experiences you are already familiar with to the...

3. Google Ads Display Made Easy - Success Guide

udemy
4.4
(283)

We only have 1 Goal. To Learn you How to Create Successful Adwords Display Campaigns with high ROI...

4. Data Science for Business 6 Real-world Case Studies

udemy
4.4
(1,307)

Solve 6 real Business Problems. Build Robust AI, DL and NLP models for Sales, Marketing, Operations, HR and PR projects...

5. Ukraine: History, Culture and Identities

coursera

Explore the history, culture and society of the people of Ukraine from the Middle Ages to the present in this introductory course developed by the Ukrainian Institute, educational studio EdEra, and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and offered on Coursera in cooperation with the University of Washington. The culture and identities of Ukrainian people have existed in this region for more than a thousand years. Like most Eastern European countries, Ukraine is a rather young country —...

6. Space Medicine

coursera

Have you ever wondered what it would take for humans to travel beyond the comforts of our home planet, Earth? You are invited to join us in Space Medicine - an online experience facilitated by two recent Duke graduates in which you will learn about and engage in the most pressing medical challenges facing NASA and others advancing the future of space exploration. Space Medicine is a free, non-certificate course featuring interactive modules and weekly live discussions. Participants will reflect...

7. Business Data Analytics (IIBA®-CBDA Exam preparation)

udemy
4.4
(315)

IIBA® endorsed course. Learn how to apply analysis skills on data projects and prepare for an IIBA®-CBDA certification...

8. Local Business Marketing With Local SEO & Social Media 2023

udemy
4.6
(343)

Local business marketing with local SEO, Google map search (Google My Business) local lead generation and social media...

9. The Physics of Emergence: Introduction to Condensed Matter

coursera

We know the fundamental equations governing the motion of every atom in our brain and every electron in our computers - the motion of each and every atomic and subatomic particle on planet Earth can, in principle, be calculated from well understood physical laws. And yet, the natural world (and the behavior of humans and computers alike) continues to surprise us. This is because when large numbers of objects interact together, they can exhibit qualitatively new emergent phenomena, which are not...

10. Phases of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas and Beyond

coursera

Complex systems can exhibit emergent phenomena, wherein the interplay of simple underlying rules governing the constituent parts leads to rich and unexpected behavior of the whole. Condensed matter physics is the branch of physics devoted to understanding such emergence in physical systems. It is the largest subfield of physics, and has developed a wealth of ideas and techniques for taming complexity. The course provides an introduction to this physics of emergence. The course is aimed at a...

11. Create a 3D multi-player game using THREE.js and Socket.IO

udemy
4.5
(406)

Learn to use the Web GL library THREE js, NODE.Js and Socket IO to create a 3D multi-player game...

12. Data Science Career Guide - Interview Preparation

udemy
4.4
(2,537)

Prepare for your Data Science Interview with this full guide on a career in Data Science including practice questions!...

13. Designing and Building Institutional Anti-Racist Spaces

coursera

Designing and Building Institutional Antiracist Spaces (D-BIAS) is a course whose mission is to teach tenets of equity, anti-racism, and cultural justice and how to apply these ideas to achieve social change. The course is aimed at educators and administrators in educational spaces, lawyers and advocates in spaces that touch civil rights, equity, and whose Institutional mission it is to achieve greater cultural equity. The course involves creative approaches to social justice, racial justice,...

14. Professionalism in Allied Health

coursera

This course will benefit anyone considering a career in allied health, as well as those already working the field. Allied Health Professionals must be committed to the key attributes of professionalism and strive to reflect this within the delivery of patient-centered, safe, and effective care. “Professionalism” is a broad term which reflects many different skills and abilities. For an individual to exhibit professionalism, they must be armed with specific skills and abilities that do not...

15. Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate - Preparation

udemy
4.6
(2,215)

Preparation course for Databricks Data Engineer Associate certification exam (Versions 2 and 3) with hands-on training...

16. Space Entrepreneurship 101

udemy
4.5
(426)

Get to know the New Space Economy...

17. Space is Everywhere

coursera

You are here! Welcome to Course 4 - Space is Everywhere and the last course of this specialization. You are on the final stretch of this journey to finding your Pathway to Space. The topics of Course 4 span four weeks and nine lessons with 36 learning objectives. This course contains some of my most favorite aha moments in the the entire specialization. I hope that you find them and that they impact you in a positive way. We will discuss how space is communicated through news, art, movies,...

18. Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional -Preparation

udemy
4.6
(359)

Preparation course for Databricks Data Engineer Professional certification exam with hands-on training...

19. Master Course in Tableau Prep - Prepare & Clean Data

udemy
4.5
(1,307)

A practical course in data preparation and cleansing using Tableau Prep...

20. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems

udemy
4.6
(4,741)

Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...

Top 10 most affordable universities for exhibit preparators

The most affordable schools for exhibit preparators are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for exhibit preparators 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 preparators.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 preparators

The hardest universities for exhibit preparators to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Tufts University.

Some great schools for exhibit preparators 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 preparators 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,439

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for exhibit preparators

The easiest schools for exhibit preparators to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an exhibit preparator 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 preparators.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average exhibit preparator salary by education level

According to our data, exhibit preparators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $71,131 annually. Exhibit preparators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $57,121.
Exhibit preparator education levelExhibit preparator salary
Master's Degree$71,131
Bachelor's Degree$57,121

Exhibit preparator education FAQs

Search for exhibit preparator jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

Browse education, training, and library jobs