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Professor of fine art education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a professor of fine art. Professors of fine art usually study fine arts, education, or graphic design. 62% of professors of fine art hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 72 real professor of fine art resumes to see exactly what professor of fine art education sections show.

The most common colleges for professors of fine art are the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

There are also many online professor of fine art courses to help get the education required to be a professor of fine art.

What education do you need to become a professor of fine art?

What degree do you need to be a professor of fine art?

The most common degree for professors of fine art is bachelor's degree, with 62% of professors of fine art earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 29% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Master's, 29%
  • Doctorate, 7%
  • Associate, 2%

What should I major in to become a professor of fine art?

You should major in fine arts to become a professor of fine art. 54% of professors of fine art major in fine arts. Other common majors for a professor of fine art include education and graphic design.

Most common colleges for professors of fine art

Professors of fine art often get their degrees at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Rhode Island School of Design, and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Here are the most common colleges for professors of fine art in the US based on their resumes.
Professor of fine art common collegePercentages
School of the Art Institute of Chicago10.71%
Rhode Island School of Design7.14%
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts7.14%
The University of the Arts7.14%
University of Illinois at Chicago7.14%

Best majors for professors of fine art

RankMajorPercentages
1Fine Arts53.7%
2Education7.5%
3Graphic Design7.5%
4Music4.5%
5Philosophy3.0%

Best colleges for professors of fine art

The best colleges for professors of fine art are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A professor of fine art with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for professors of fine art. 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 professors of fine art.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for professors of fine art

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Top 10 most affordable universities for professors of fine art

The most affordable schools for professors of fine art are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for professors of fine art 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 professors of fine art.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for professors of fine art

The hardest universities for professors of fine art to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for professors of fine art 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 professors of fine art 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

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for professors of fine art

The easiest schools for professors of fine art to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a professor of fine art 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 professors of fine art.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

9. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average professor of fine art salary by education level

According to our data, professors of fine art with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $72,844 annually. Professors of fine art with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $59,609.
Professor of fine art education levelProfessor of fine art salary
Master's Degree$59,609
Doctorate Degree$72,844

Professor of fine art 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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