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Furniture designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a furniture designer. Furniture designers usually study graphic design, interior design, or fine arts. 73% of furniture designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 526 real furniture designer resumes to see exactly what furniture designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for furniture designers are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online furniture designer courses to help get the education required to be a furniture designer.
What education do you need to become a furniture designer?
What degree do you need to be a furniture designer?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a furniture designer?
- Graphic Design, 23%
- Interior Design, 18%
- Fine Arts, 12%
- Architecture, 10%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for furniture designers
| Furniture designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 10.29% |
| Academy of Art University | 8.82% |
| Rhode Island School of Design | 8.82% |
| Pratt Institute | 8.82% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 5.88% |
Best majors for furniture designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 23.2% |
| 2 | Interior Design | 17.9% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 11.9% |
| 4 | Architecture | 10.2% |
| 5 | Woodworking | 8.4% |
Best colleges for furniture designers
The best colleges for furniture designers are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A furniture 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 furniture 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 furniture 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
20 best online courses for furniture designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for furniture designers
The most affordable schools for furniture designers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for furniture 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 furniture designers.
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
7. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
10. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for furniture designers
The hardest universities for furniture designers to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for furniture 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 furniture 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
9. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for furniture designers
The easiest schools for furniture designers 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 furniture 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 furniture 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. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
10. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
Average furniture designer salary by education level
| Furniture designer education level | Furniture designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,071 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,106 |
| Doctorate Degree | $73,048 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,969 |
Furniture designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025