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Multimedia designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a multimedia designer. Multimedia designers usually study graphic design, fine arts, or computer applications. 70% of multimedia designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,875 real multimedia designer resumes to see exactly what multimedia designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for multimedia designers are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.

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

What education do you need to become a multimedia designer?

What degree do you need to be a multimedia designer?

The most common degree for multimedia designers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of multimedia designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 70%
  • Associate, 19%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a multimedia designer?

You should major in graphic design to become a multimedia designer. 33% of multimedia designers major in graphic design. Other common majors for a multimedia designer include fine arts and computer applications.

Most common colleges for multimedia designers

Multimedia designers often get their degrees at Full Sail University, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and Savannah College of Art and Design. Here are the most common colleges for multimedia designers in the US based on their resumes.
Multimedia designer common collegePercentages
Full Sail University12.90%
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh9.68%
Savannah College of Art and Design8.29%
School of Visual Arts5.99%
Virginia Commonwealth University5.53%

Best majors for multimedia designers

Best colleges for multimedia designers

The best colleges for multimedia designers are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.

A multimedia 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 multimedia 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 multimedia 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

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 designers

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Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

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16. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign

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Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...

17. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

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Bestselling Beginner Course! Use Photoshop, Illustrator, & In Design for logo design, web design, poster design, and more...

18. Adobe XD Mega Course - User Experience Design

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UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, UX design & Web Design...

19. Web Design for Beginners: Build Websites in HTML & CSS 2023

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Learn the Basics of HTML and CSS and get Started with Web Design...

20. Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design

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Design 4 Beautiful eye catching Graphic Design Projects from Scratch with Adobe Photoshop Graphic Design Basics...

Top 10 most affordable universities for multimedia designers

The most affordable schools for multimedia designers are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for multimedia 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 multimedia designers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for multimedia designers

The hardest universities for multimedia designers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for multimedia 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 multimedia 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. 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for multimedia designers

The easiest schools for multimedia designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a multimedia 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 multimedia 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. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

Average multimedia designer salary by education level

Multimedia designers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $71,593 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, multimedia designers earn a median annual income of $66,159 compared to $60,004 for multimedia designers with an Associate degree.
Multimedia designer education levelMultimedia designer salary
Master's Degree$71,593
Bachelor's Degree$66,159
Some College/ Associate Degree$60,004

Multimedia designer education FAQs

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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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