Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Multimedia artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a multimedia artist. Multimedia artists usually study graphic design, fine arts, or animation. 72% of multimedia artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 301 real multimedia artist resumes to see exactly what multimedia artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for multimedia artists are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online multimedia artist courses to help get the education required to be a multimedia artist.
What education do you need to become a multimedia artist?
What degree do you need to be a multimedia artist?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 19%
- Master's, 5%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a multimedia artist?
- Graphic Design, 21%
- Fine Arts, 17%
- Animation, 11%
- Photography, 6%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for multimedia artists
| Multimedia artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 12.24% |
| DeVry University | 8.16% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.12% |
| The Art Institute of Philadelphia | 6.12% |
| School of Visual Arts | 6.12% |
Best majors for multimedia artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 21.2% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 17.1% |
| 3 | Animation | 10.9% |
| 4 | Photography | 5.7% |
| 5 | Business | 5.2% |
Best colleges for multimedia artists
The best colleges for multimedia artists are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
A multimedia 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 multimedia 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 multimedia artists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for multimedia artists
Advertising disclosure
1. Copyright for Multimedia
Copyright questions about different formats (data, images, music and video) can be especially difficult. Sometimes the law specifically distinguishes between these different formats, and in most cases there are media-specific considerations that impact a copyright analysis. In this course we will look at four different media, paying special attention to the unique issues for each one and the kinds of information that is important when making copyright decisions for each type of material. We...
2. Photoshop CC for Beginners: Adobe Photoshop Course
This Adobe Photoshop CC course will teach you the basics of Photoshop for web design, graphic design, photography & more...
3. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...
4. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign
Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...
5. The Art of Seeing Photography training for the Artist in you
Discover how to see like an artist & take the best photos of your life...
6. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
Bestselling Beginner Course! Use Photoshop, Illustrator, & In Design for logo design, web design, poster design, and more...
7. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process
Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...
8. UI UX Design Hybrid from Figma to HTML CSS and JavaScript
Learn how to become a Full-Stack Designer with User Interface Design, User Experience Design, Web Development, Bootstrap...
9. Master Web Design in Photoshop: Complete UI/UX Masterclass
Learn UI/UX and how to create stunning website Everything you need to know about web design in 2023 All in Photoshop...
10. Complete Graphics Design and Video Editing Masterclass
Combo Course of Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Adobe Photoshop CC for Learning Video Editing and Graphics Design...
11. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners
Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...
12. Photoshop and Photography Digital Art Compositing Course
Learn Adobe Photoshop CC and photography by designing levitation digital art composites from four photoshoots...
13. Materialize CSS From Scratch With 5 Projects
Master HTML 5 & the Materialize CSS framework by building 5 real world responsive material design based themes...
14. Graphic Design Masterclass Intermediate: The NEXT Level
Up Your Graphic Design Skills: Logo Design, Photo Manipulation, Package Design, Infographics, Portfolio Building, Grids!...
15. Web Design Responsive Website Template from Scratch HTML CSS
Build your own website from scratch Web Design how to build a simple website template from scratch using HTML and CSS...
16. Learn Figma: User Interface Design Essentials - UI/UX Design
Master Figma app to get a job in UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, Web Design & UX design...
17. Web Design for Beginners: Build Websites in HTML & CSS 2023
Learn the Basics of HTML and CSS and get Started with Web Design...
18. User Experience Design Essentials - Adobe XD UI UX Design
Use XD to get a job in UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, UX design & Web Design...
19. YouTube Creator Course: Audio & Video Production for Youtube
Make Professional Youtube Videos at home - Video Production, Audio Production, OBS Screencasting, Premiere Pro + Editing...
20. User Experience Design & User Interface Design Fundamentals
Learn the basics of successful User Experience Design and User Interface Design...
Top 10 most affordable universities for multimedia artists
The most affordable schools for multimedia artists are Fashion Institute of Technology, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for multimedia 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 multimedia artists.
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. 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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for multimedia artists
The hardest universities for multimedia artists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for multimedia 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 multimedia 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for multimedia artists
The easiest schools for multimedia artists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, kean university, and grand view university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a multimedia 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 multimedia artists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
Average multimedia artist salary by education level
| Multimedia artist education level | Multimedia artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $79,778 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $59,751 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $77,708 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $65,659 |
Multimedia artist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for multimedia artist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025