Pattern technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a pattern technician. Pattern technicians usually study graphic design, accounting, or business. 54% of pattern technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 49 real pattern technician resumes to see exactly what pattern technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for pattern technicians are the The Art Institute of Seattle and the The Art Institute of Seattle.

There are also many online pattern technician courses to help get the education required to be a pattern technician.

What education do you need to become a pattern technician?

What degree do you need to be a pattern technician?

The most common degree for pattern technicians is bachelor's degree, with 54% of pattern technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 23%

High School Diploma, 8%

Diploma, 8%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a pattern technician?

You should major in graphic design to become a pattern technician. 18% of pattern technicians major in graphic design. Other common majors for a pattern technician include accounting and business.

Graphic Design, 18%

Accounting, 14%

Business, 9%

Mechanical Engineering Technology, 9%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for pattern technicians

Pattern technicians often get their degrees at The Art Institute of Seattle, Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, and Ball State University. Here are the most common colleges for pattern technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Pattern technician common college	Percentages
The Art Institute of Seattle	22.22%
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology	11.11%
Ball State University	11.11%
Albany State University	11.11%
Delaware Technical Community College	11.11%

Show more common pattern technician colleges

Best majors for pattern technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Graphic Design	18.2%
2	Accounting	13.6%
3	Business	9.1%
4	Mechanical Engineering Technology	9.1%
5	Art Studies	9.1%

Show more common pattern technician majors

Best colleges for pattern technicians

The best colleges for pattern technicians are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

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

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

4. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for pattern technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for pattern technicians

The most affordable schools for pattern technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, fashion institute of technology, and florida state university.

If the best universities for pattern technicians 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 pattern technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,645

Cost of attendance

20,098

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pattern technicians

The hardest universities for pattern technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for pattern technicians 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 pattern technicians 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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 pattern technicians

The easiest schools for pattern technicians to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of the incarnate word, and centenary university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a pattern technician 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 pattern technicians.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average pattern technician salary by education level

According to our data, pattern technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $69,661 annually. Pattern technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $61,990.

Pattern technician education level	Pattern technician salary
High School Diploma or Less	$52,136
Bachelor's Degree	$69,661
Some College/ Associate Degree	$61,990

Pattern technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Pattern Technicians?

Have more questions? See all answers to common production and manufacturing questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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