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Toy designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a toy designer. Toy designers usually study graphic design, fine arts, or animation. 81% of toy designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 133 real toy designer resumes to see exactly what toy designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for toy designers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online toy designer courses to help get the education required to be a toy designer.
What education do you need to become a toy designer?
What degree do you need to be a toy designer?
- Bachelor's, 81%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 3%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a toy designer?
- Graphic Design, 54%
- Fine Arts, 11%
- Animation, 7%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for toy designers
| Toy designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 20.00% |
| Otis College of Art and Design | 11.11% |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | 8.89% |
| Art Center College of Design | 6.67% |
| Syracuse University | 4.44% |
Best majors for toy designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 53.9% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 11.2% |
| 3 | Animation | 6.7% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 4.5% |
| 5 | Industrial Technology | 2.2% |
Best colleges for toy designers
The best colleges for toy designers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A toy 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 toy 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 toy designers.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for toy designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for toy designers
The most affordable schools for toy designers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for toy 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 toy designers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for toy designers
The hardest universities for toy designers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for toy 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 toy 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for toy designers
The easiest schools for toy designers to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, notre dame de namur university, and saint martin's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a toy 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 toy designers.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
4. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Lamar University
Beaumont, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,043
10. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
Average toy designer salary by education level
| Toy designer education level | Toy designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,445 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,127 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,918 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,687 |
Toy designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025