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Storyboard artist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a storyboard artist. Storyboard artists usually study animation, graphic design, or fine arts. 80% of storyboard artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,144 real storyboard artist resumes to see exactly what storyboard artist education sections show.

The most common colleges for storyboard artists are the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

There are also many online storyboard artist courses to help get the education required to be a storyboard artist.

What education do you need to become a storyboard artist?

What degree do you need to be a storyboard artist?

The most common degree for storyboard artists is bachelor's degree, with 80% of storyboard artists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Associate, 11%
  • Master's, 5%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a storyboard artist?

You should major in animation to become a storyboard artist. 31% of storyboard artists major in animation. Other common majors for a storyboard artist include graphic design and fine arts.

Most common colleges for storyboard artists

Storyboard artists often get their degrees at Savannah College of Art and Design, School of Visual Arts, and Academy of Art University. Here are the most common colleges for storyboard artists in the US based on their resumes.
Storyboard artist common collegePercentages
Savannah College of Art and Design14.63%
School of Visual Arts13.66%
Academy of Art University10.24%
Columbia College Chicago5.85%
Ringling College of Art and Design5.37%

Best majors for storyboard artists

Best colleges for storyboard artists

The best colleges for storyboard artists are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.

A storyboard artist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for storyboard artists. 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 storyboard artists.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for storyboard artists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for storyboard artists

The most affordable schools for storyboard artists are Fashion Institute of Technology, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for storyboard artists 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 storyboard artists.

1. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for storyboard artists

The hardest universities for storyboard artists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for storyboard artists 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 storyboard artists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for storyboard artists

The easiest schools for storyboard artists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, kean university, and grand view university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a storyboard artist 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 storyboard artists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

3. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average storyboard artist salary by education level

According to our data, storyboard artists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $105,996 annually. Storyboard artists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $102,903.
Storyboard artist education levelStoryboard artist salary
Master's Degree$105,996
High School Diploma or Less$76,537
Bachelor's Degree$102,903
Some College/ Associate Degree$85,114

Storyboard artist 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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