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Exhibits curator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an exhibits curator. Exhibits curators usually study fine arts, history, or museum studies. 68% of exhibits curators hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 261 real exhibits curator resumes to see exactly what exhibits curator education sections show.
The most common colleges for exhibits curators are the Wichita State University and the Wichita State University.
There are also many online exhibits curator courses to help get the education required to be an exhibits curator.
What education do you need to become an exhibits curator?
What degree do you need to be an exhibits curator?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an exhibits curator?
- Fine Arts, 33%
- History, 11%
- Museum Studies, 9%
- Anthropology, 7%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for exhibits curators
| Exhibits curator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Wichita State University | 7.14% |
| San Francisco State University | 7.14% |
| Washington State University | 4.76% |
| Florida Atlantic University | 4.76% |
| Trinity College | 4.76% |
Best majors for exhibits curators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 33.1% |
| 2 | History | 10.7% |
| 3 | Museum Studies | 9.5% |
| 4 | Anthropology | 7.1% |
| 5 | Graphic Design | 6.5% |
Best colleges for exhibits curators
The best colleges for exhibits curators are Harvard University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
An exhibits curator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for exhibits curators. 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 exhibits curators.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for exhibits curators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for exhibits curators
The most affordable schools for exhibits curators are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for exhibits curators 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 exhibits curators.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for exhibits curators
The hardest universities for exhibits curators to get into are Harvard University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for exhibits curators 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 exhibits curators 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for exhibits curators
The easiest schools for exhibits curators to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an exhibits curator 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 exhibits curators.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average exhibits curator salary by education level
| Exhibits curator education level | Exhibits curator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,180 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,069 |
Exhibits curator education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025