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Exhibition designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an exhibition designer. Exhibition designers usually study graphic design, fine arts, or architecture. 77% of exhibition designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 731 real exhibition designer resumes to see exactly what exhibition designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for exhibition designers are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online exhibition designer courses to help get the education required to be an exhibition designer.
What education do you need to become an exhibition designer?
What degree do you need to be an exhibition designer?
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an exhibition designer?
- Graphic Design, 33%
- Fine Arts, 23%
- Architecture, 8%
- History, 4%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for exhibition designers
| Exhibition designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 9.17% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 6.42% |
| Pratt Institute | 6.42% |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 6.42% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.50% |
Best majors for exhibition designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 32.8% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 22.6% |
| 3 | Architecture | 8.0% |
| 4 | History | 4.2% |
| 5 | Interior Design | 4.0% |
Best colleges for exhibition designers
The best colleges for exhibition designers are Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An exhibition 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 exhibition 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 exhibition designers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for exhibition designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for exhibition designers
The most affordable schools for exhibition designers are University of Florida, florida international university, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for exhibition 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 exhibition designers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
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 exhibition designers
The hardest universities for exhibition designers to get into are Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for exhibition 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 exhibition 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for exhibition designers
The easiest schools for exhibition designers 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 an exhibition 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 exhibition designers.
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
10. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
Average exhibition designer salary by education level
| Exhibition designer education level | Exhibition designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $70,267 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,173 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $59,305 |
Exhibition designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025