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Lead artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead artist. Lead artists usually study graphic design, fine arts, or animation. 74% of lead artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,460 real lead artist resumes to see exactly what lead artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead artists are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online lead artist courses to help get the education required to be a lead artist.
What education do you need to become a lead artist?
What degree do you need to be a lead artist?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 5%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a lead artist?
- Graphic Design, 28%
- Fine Arts, 20%
- Animation, 14%
- Computer Science, 9%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for lead artists
| Lead artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 12.68% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 11.74% |
| Academy of Art University | 7.04% |
| Art Center College of Design | 7.04% |
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 6.57% |
Best majors for lead artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 27.9% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 20.4% |
| 3 | Animation | 14.4% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 8.5% |
| 5 | Photography | 4.2% |
Best colleges for lead artists
The best colleges for lead artists are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
A lead 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 lead 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 lead artists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for lead artists
Advertising disclosure
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead artists
The most affordable schools for lead artists are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, fashion institute of technology, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for lead 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 lead artists.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
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. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead artists
The hardest universities for lead artists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for lead 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 lead 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. 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead artists
The easiest schools for lead artists to get into are Cardinal Stritch University, grand view university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead 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 lead artists.
1. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
2. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
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. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average lead artist salary by education level
| Lead artist education level | Lead artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $96,367 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $71,583 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $93,796 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $78,872 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025