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Scenic designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a scenic designer. Scenic designers usually study theatre, fine arts, or graphic design. 78% of scenic designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 363 real scenic designer resumes to see exactly what scenic designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for scenic designers are the Emporia State University and the Emporia State University.
There are also many online scenic designer courses to help get the education required to be a scenic designer.
What education do you need to become a scenic designer?
What degree do you need to be a scenic designer?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a scenic designer?
- Theatre, 39%
- Fine Arts, 17%
- Graphic Design, 12%
- Other Majors, 23%
Most common colleges for scenic designers
| Scenic designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Emporia State University | 8.16% |
| University of California, Berkeley | 8.16% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 6.12% |
| Indiana University Bloomington | 6.12% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.12% |
Best majors for scenic designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theatre | 39.1% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 17.4% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 12.4% |
| 4 | Drafting And Design | 8.7% |
| 5 | Interior Design | 3.7% |
Best colleges for scenic designers
The best colleges for scenic designers are Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A scenic 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 scenic 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 scenic designers.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
20 best online courses for scenic designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for scenic designers
The most affordable schools for scenic designers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and queens college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for scenic 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 scenic designers.
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. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for scenic designers
The hardest universities for scenic designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for scenic 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 scenic 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for scenic designers
The easiest schools for scenic designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a scenic 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 scenic designers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
8. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
Average scenic designer salary by education level
| Scenic designer education level | Scenic designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,630 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,931 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,743 |
Scenic designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025