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Principal designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principal designer. Principal designers usually study graphic design, interior design, or architecture. 64% of principal designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,621 real principal designer resumes to see exactly what principal designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for principal designers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online principal designer courses to help get the education required to be a principal designer.
There are certain principal designer certifications that you should consider. These principal designer certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and National Council Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ).
What education do you need to become a principal designer?
What degree do you need to be a principal designer?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 12%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a principal designer?
- Graphic Design, 24%
- Interior Design, 11%
- Architecture, 11%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for principal designers
| Principal designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 7.78% |
| Pratt Institute | 7.19% |
| Arizona State University | 6.59% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.59% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 5.99% |
Best majors for principal designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 24.0% |
| 2 | Interior Design | 10.7% |
| 3 | Architecture | 10.6% |
| 4 | Drafting And Design | 8.7% |
| 5 | Fine Arts | 8.2% |
Best colleges for principal designers
The best colleges for principal designers are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Harvard University.
A principal 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 principal 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 principal 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Enrollment
23,396
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
20 best online courses for principal designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for principal designers
The most affordable schools for principal designers are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for principal 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 principal 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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$9,222
Cost of attendance
20,422
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principal designers
The hardest universities for principal designers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for principal 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 principal 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principal designers
The easiest schools for principal designers to get into are Notre Dame College, notre dame de namur university, and cardinal stritch university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principal 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 principal designers.
1. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
4. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
5. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
6. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
7. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average principal designer salary by education level
| Principal designer education level | Principal designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $151,799 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $136,439 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $119,568 |
Principal designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025