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Senior designer/project manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior designer/project manager. Senior designer/project managers usually study graphic design, interior design, or architecture. 68% of senior designer/project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,625 real senior designer/project manager resumes to see exactly what senior designer/project manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior designer/project managers are the Pratt Institute and the Pratt Institute.
There are also many online senior designer/project manager courses to help get the education required to be a senior designer/project manager.
There are certain senior designer/project manager certifications that you should consider. These senior designer/project manager certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and National Council Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ).
What education do you need to become a senior designer/project manager?
What degree do you need to be a senior designer/project manager?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a senior designer/project manager?
- Graphic Design, 13%
- Interior Design, 13%
- Architecture, 12%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for senior designer/project managers
| Senior designer/project manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pratt Institute | 8.93% |
| University of Houston | 6.55% |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 6.55% |
| New York School of Interior Design | 5.95% |
| University of Cincinnati | 5.36% |
Best majors for senior designer/project managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 13.4% |
| 2 | Interior Design | 12.8% |
| 3 | Architecture | 12.3% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 8.7% |
| 5 | Drafting And Design | 7.4% |
Best colleges for senior designer/project managers
The best colleges for senior designer/project managers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A senior designer/project manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior designer/project managers. 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 senior designer/project managers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
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 senior designer/project managers
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8. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One
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10. Project Management: Master Project Management - PMP/PMI
Master Project Management using this practical certification course...
11. Graphic Design Foundations in Canva: Theory and Projects
Learn design theory and practice GREAT graphic design through practical real world projects in Canva...
12. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery
Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...
13. Design Thinking & Project Management: 2 in 1 Complete Guides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior designer/project managers
The most affordable schools for senior designer/project managers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida international university.
If the best universities for senior designer/project managers 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 senior designer/project managers.
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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. 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
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior designer/project managers
The hardest universities for senior designer/project managers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for senior designer/project managers 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 senior designer/project managers 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior designer/project managers
The easiest schools for senior designer/project managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior designer/project manager 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 senior designer/project managers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average senior designer/project manager salary by education level
| Senior designer/project manager education level | Senior designer/project manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,829 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $75,448 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,386 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,603 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $78,522 |
Senior designer/project manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025