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Set designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a set designer. Set designers usually study fine arts, graphic design, or theatre. 68% of set designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,161 real set designer resumes to see exactly what set designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for set designers are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
There are also many online set designer courses to help get the education required to be a set designer.
What education do you need to become a set designer?
What degree do you need to be a set designer?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a set designer?
- Fine Arts, 18%
- Graphic Design, 17%
- Theatre, 10%
- Photography, 9%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for set designers
| Set designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 11.57% |
| New York University | 8.26% |
| Rhode Island School of Design | 7.44% |
| Full Sail University | 5.79% |
| School of Visual Arts | 5.79% |
Best majors for set designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 18.3% |
| 2 | Graphic Design | 16.7% |
| 3 | Theatre | 10.3% |
| 4 | Photography | 9.4% |
| 5 | Interior Design | 9.1% |
Best colleges for set designers
The best colleges for set designers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A set 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 set 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 set designers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$58,230
Enrollment
6,600
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for set designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for set designers
The most affordable schools for set designers are California State University - Long Beach, queens college of the city university of new york, and florida state university.
If the best universities for set 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 set designers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,310
Cost of attendance
19,807
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for set designers
The hardest universities for set designers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for set 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 set 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for set designers
The easiest schools for set designers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a set 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 set designers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average set designer salary by education level
| Set designer education level | Set designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,786 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,726 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $54,951 |
Set designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025