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Technical artist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a technical artist. Technical artists usually study graphic design, animation, or fine arts. 68% of technical artists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 573 real technical artist resumes to see exactly what technical artist education sections show.
The most common colleges for technical artists are the Full Sail University and the Full Sail University.
There are also many online technical artist courses to help get the education required to be a technical artist.
What education do you need to become a technical artist?
What degree do you need to be a technical artist?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a technical artist?
- Graphic Design, 26%
- Animation, 15%
- Fine Arts, 14%
- Computer Science, 11%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for technical artists
| Technical artist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Full Sail University | 19.61% |
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 8.82% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 7.84% |
| Academy of Art University | 7.84% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 5.88% |
Best majors for technical artists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 25.6% |
| 2 | Animation | 14.9% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 14.0% |
| 4 | Computer Science | 10.7% |
| 5 | Photography | 5.8% |
Best colleges for technical artists
The best colleges for technical artists are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
A technical 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 technical 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 technical artists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for technical artists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for technical artists
The most affordable schools for technical artists are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, fashion institute of technology, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for technical 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 technical artists.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for technical artists
The hardest universities for technical artists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for technical 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 technical 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for technical artists
The easiest schools for technical artists to get into are Cardinal Stritch University, grand view university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a technical 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 technical artists.
1. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
2. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
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. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average technical artist salary by education level
| Technical artist education level | Technical artist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $105,752 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $77,803 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $102,841 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $85,995 |
Technical artist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025