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Fine artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fine artist. Fine artists usually study fine arts, graphic design, or photography. 69% of fine artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 635 real fine artist resumes to see exactly what fine artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for fine artists are the School of Visual Arts and the School of Visual Arts.
There are also many online fine artist courses to help get the education required to be a fine artist.
What education do you need to become a fine artist?
What degree do you need to be a fine artist?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a fine artist?
- Fine Arts, 46%
- Graphic Design, 20%
- Photography, 4%
- Business, 3%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for fine artists
| Fine artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| School of Visual Arts | 10.23% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 7.95% |
| Pratt Institute | 7.95% |
| Arizona State University | 5.68% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 5.68% |
Best majors for fine artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 46.2% |
| 2 | Graphic Design | 19.7% |
| 3 | Photography | 4.4% |
| 4 | Business | 3.4% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 2.9% |
Best colleges for fine artists
The best colleges for fine artists are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
A fine 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 fine 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 fine artists.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for fine artists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fine artists
The most affordable schools for fine artists are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and fashion institute of technology.
If the best universities for fine 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 fine artists.
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. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fine artists
The hardest universities for fine artists to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for fine 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 fine 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fine artists
The easiest schools for fine 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 a fine 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 fine 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. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average fine artist salary by education level
| Fine artist education level | Fine artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,068 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $51,834 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,257 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $58,503 |
Fine artist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025