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Interface designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an interface designer. Interface designers usually study graphic design, computer science, or fine arts. 73% of interface designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 328 real interface designer resumes to see exactly what interface designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for interface designers are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
There are also many online interface designer courses to help get the education required to be an interface designer.
What education do you need to become an interface designer?
What degree do you need to be an interface designer?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 11%
- Diploma, 0%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an interface designer?
- Graphic Design, 30%
- Computer Science, 14%
- Fine Arts, 10%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for interface designers
| Interface designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 10.00% |
| Syracuse University | 6.67% |
| Arizona State University | 6.67% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.67% |
| DePaul University | 6.67% |
Best majors for interface designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 30.1% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 13.7% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 10.4% |
| 4 | Design And Visual Communication | 7.7% |
| 5 | Communication | 4.9% |
Best colleges for interface designers
The best colleges for interface designers are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
An interface 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 interface 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 interface designers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for interface designers
Advertising disclosure
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5. Visual Elements of User Interface Design
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In this Specialization, you will learn industry-standard theory and methods for developing successful user interfaces (UIs). Upon completing this Specialization, you will have fluency with the user research, prototyping and evaluation techniques necessary for creating intuitive interfaces that facilitate good user experiences. You will also have demonstrated this fluency through an in-depth Capstone Project that can be shown to prospective employers in the fast-growing field of UI...
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14. User Experience Design Essentials - Adobe XD UI UX Design
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15. Adobe XD Mega Course - User Experience Design
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16. UI Design with Photoshop from Beginner to Expert in 15 days
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17. UI UX Design Hybrid from Figma to HTML CSS and JavaScript
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Top 10 most affordable universities for interface designers
The most affordable schools for interface designers are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, lehman college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for interface 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 interface designers.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for interface designers
The hardest universities for interface designers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for interface 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 interface 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for interface designers
The easiest schools for interface designers to get into are Cardinal Stritch University, la roche college, and linfield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an interface 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 interface designers.
1. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
2. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
3. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Longwood University
Farmville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,065
7. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
8. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
9. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
10. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
Average interface designer salary by education level
| Interface designer education level | Interface designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $131,291 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $116,771 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $101,009 |
Interface designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025