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Museum docent education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a museum docent. Museum docents usually study history, anthropology, or fine arts. 81% of museum docents hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 264 real museum docent resumes to see exactly what museum docent education sections show.
The most common colleges for museum docents are the College of Charleston and the College of Charleston.
There are also many online museum docent courses to help get the education required to be a museum docent.
What education do you need to become a museum docent?
What degree do you need to be a museum docent?
- Bachelor's, 81%
- Associate, 8%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a museum docent?
- History, 22%
- Anthropology, 11%
- Fine Arts, 11%
- Geology, 7%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for museum docents
| Museum docent common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| College of Charleston | 8.70% |
| University of Connecticut | 6.52% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 6.52% |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler | 6.52% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 6.52% |
Best majors for museum docents
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History | 22.1% |
| 2 | Anthropology | 11.5% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 11.5% |
| 4 | Geology | 7.4% |
| 5 | Business | 4.9% |
Best colleges for museum docents
The best colleges for museum docents are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.
A museum docent 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 docents. 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 docents.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
10. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$50,340
Enrollment
5,301
20 best online courses for museum docents
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Top 10 most affordable universities for museum docents
The most affordable schools for museum docents are University of Florida, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for museum docents 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 docents.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for museum docents
The hardest universities for museum docents to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for museum docents 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 docents 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for museum docents
The easiest schools for museum docents to get into are Wayland Baptist University, william paterson university of new jersey, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a museum docent 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 docents.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
5. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
Average museum docent salary by education level
| Museum docent education level | Museum docent salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,531 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,721 |
Museum docent education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025