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Museum assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a museum assistant. Museum assistants usually study fine arts, history, or anthropology. 77% of museum assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 992 real museum assistant resumes to see exactly what museum assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for museum assistants are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.

There are also many online museum assistant courses to help get the education required to be a museum assistant.

What education do you need to become a museum assistant?

What degree do you need to be a museum assistant?

The most common degree for museum assistants is bachelor's degree, with 77% of museum assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 77%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a museum assistant?

You should major in fine arts to become a museum assistant. 23% of museum assistants major in fine arts. Other common majors for a museum assistant include history and anthropology.

Most common colleges for museum assistants

Museum assistants often get their degrees at Florida State University, University of Connecticut, and Stephen F Austin State University. Here are the most common colleges for museum assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Museum assistant common collegePercentages
Florida State University8.55%
University of Connecticut7.69%
Stephen F Austin State University6.84%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor5.98%
George Washington University, The5.98%

Best majors for museum assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Fine Arts22.5%
2History16.8%
3Anthropology11.8%
4Biology4.6%
5Psychology4.2%

Best colleges for museum assistants

The best colleges for museum assistants are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University.

A museum assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for museum assistants. 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 museum assistants.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

4. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

In-state tuition

$55,466

Enrollment

6,752

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for museum assistants

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5. Framework for Data Collection and Analysis

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Top 10 most affordable universities for museum assistants

The most affordable schools for museum assistants are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for museum assistants 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 museum assistants.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for museum assistants

The hardest universities for museum assistants to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Brown University.

Some great schools for museum assistants 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 museum assistants 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

6. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

7. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Amherst College

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,449

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for museum assistants

The easiest schools for museum assistants to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, william paterson university of new jersey, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a museum assistant 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 museum assistants.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

Average museum assistant salary by education level

According to our data, museum assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $45,064 annually. Museum assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $39,148.
Museum assistant education levelMuseum assistant salary
Master's Degree$45,064
Bachelor's Degree$39,148

Museum assistant 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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