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Men's designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a men's designer. Men's designers usually study graphic design, business, or specialized sales and merchandising. 64% of men's designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 376 real men's designer resumes to see exactly what men's designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for men's designers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

There are also many online men's designer courses to help get the education required to be a men's designer.

What education do you need to become a men's designer?

What degree do you need to be a men's designer?

The most common degree for men's designers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of men's designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Associate, 25%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a men's designer?

You should major in graphic design to become a men's designer. 48% of men's designers major in graphic design. Other common majors for a men's designer include business and specialized sales and merchandising.

Most common colleges for men's designers

Men's designers often get their degrees at Fashion Institute of Technology, The New School, and Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco. Here are the most common colleges for men's designers in the US based on their resumes.
Men's designer common collegePercentages
Fashion Institute of Technology36.89%
The New School7.77%
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco5.83%
FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising5.83%
Seattle Central Community College5.83%

Best majors for men's designers

Best colleges for men's designers

The best colleges for men's designers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.

A men's 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 men's 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 men's 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. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$32,144

Enrollment

2,914

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for men's designers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for men's designers

The most affordable schools for men's designers are Fashion Institute of Technology, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for men's 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 men's designers.

1. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Cost of attendance

25,228

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for men's designers

The hardest universities for men's designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for men's 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 men's 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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

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. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for men's designers

The easiest schools for men's designers to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, notre dame college, and cardinal stritch university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a men's 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 men's designers.

1. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

4. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

7. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

8. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

9. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

10. Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,062

Average men's designer salary by education level

Men's designers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $79,377 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, men's designers earn a median annual income of $69,925 compared to $59,775 for men's designers with an Associate degree.
Men's designer education levelMen's designer salary
Master's Degree$79,377
Bachelor's Degree$69,925
Some College/ Associate Degree$59,775

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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