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Visual arts teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a visual arts teacher. Visual arts teachers usually study fine arts, general education, specific areas, or graphic design. 68% of visual arts teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 936 real visual arts teacher resumes to see exactly what visual arts teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for visual arts teachers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online visual arts teacher courses to help get the education required to be a visual arts teacher.
What education do you need to become a visual arts teacher?
What degree do you need to be a visual arts teacher?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a visual arts teacher?
- Fine Arts, 28%
- Graphic Design, 9%
- Education, 9%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for visual arts teachers
| Visual arts teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.52% |
| School of Visual Arts | 9.52% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 5.71% |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 5.71% |
| Pratt Institute | 5.71% |
Best majors for visual arts teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine Arts | 28.3% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 22.0% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 9.5% |
| 4 | Education | 8.7% |
| 5 | Visual And Performing Arts | 7.8% |
Best colleges for visual arts teachers
The best colleges for visual arts teachers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
A visual arts teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for visual arts teachers. 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 visual arts teachers.
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
20 best online courses for visual arts teachers
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2. Modern Art & Ideas
Welcome to Modern Art & Ideas! This course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about modern and contemporary art. Over the next five weeks, you will look at art through a variety of themes: Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society. Each week kicks off with a video that connects works of art from The Museum of Modern Art’s collection to the theme. You will hear audio interviews with artists, designers, and curators and learn more about...
3. Midjourney Mastery: Create Visually Stunning AI Art
Learn to master this revolutionary new medium and create impressive AI Art...
4. DALL•E Mastery: Create Impressive AI Art
Learn to master this revolutionary new art form and create visually stunning art...
5. Pixel Art for Video Games
This course is aimed to give you the tools and knowledge you need to start creating simple art for video games made in the Unity game engine. Through the aesthetic of pixel art we will explore artistic principals like shape language, color theory, and composition as well as show you a step by step workflow for creating assets that you can use to make your own games. The course is broken into 4 main modules, props, environments, characters, and animation. Each of these courses will have a series...
6. Leading Innovation in Arts and Culture
Developed by David Owens at Vanderbilt University and customized for the cultural sector with National Arts Strategies, this course is designed to help arts and culture leaders create an environment where new ideas are constantly created, shared, evaluated and the best ones are successfully put to work. One of the toughest challenges for any leader is getting traction for new ideas. Winning support can be a struggle. As a result, powerful new ideas often get stuck. This is especially true in...
7. Positive Psychology Art Coaching
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8. Art History Prehistory to the Renaissance
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9. Low Poly Art For Video Games
This course is aimed to give you the tools and knowledge you need to start creating simple 3D art for video games made in the Unity game engine. Through the aesthetic of pixel art we will explore artistic principals like shape language, color theory, and composition as well as show you a step by step workflow for creating assets that you can use to make your own games. The course is broken into 4 main modules, props, environments, characters, and animation. Each of these courses will have a...
10. Photoshop and Photography Digital Art Compositing Course
Learn Adobe Photoshop CC and photography by designing levitation digital art composites from four photoshoots...
11. Art Therapy: Personal Development and Self Healing with Art
Arts Therapy heals ! Improve your Mental Health with 30 Art Therapy Exercises ...
12. Create And Sell AI Art: Make Money With AI Art
Learn how to turn this new technology into a profitable business...
13. Learn the ART of Video Games
Learn to create game environments. Draw concept art, create 3D models, texture in Substance Painter and build in Unity...
14. The Art of Figure to Ground: Photography's untaught secret
For years, the Art of Figure to Ground was only taught to artists...
15. Learn Pixel Art for Games
Understand creating Pixel Art for use in Games...
16. Pixel Art Fundamentals: Introduction to 2D Game Pixel Art
Make 2D Art for Video Games Using Libresprite / Aseprite. Create icons, images, HUD, simple animations and game scenes...
17. Art Therapy: Art Therapy Exercises For Healing In Life
35 Art Therapy exercises for life happiness & stress management. Art therapy with paintings, art & affirmations...
18. Complete Beginner's Guide to Digital Art
Master the foundations of digital drawing and illustration and create art like a pro...
19. 30 Art Therapy Exercises to Unwind and Explore Your Mind
Healing through the visual arts...
20. Art History Renaissance to 20th Century
This is an actual college level course that is taught at several accredited colleges...
Top 10 most affordable universities for visual arts teachers
The most affordable schools for visual arts teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for visual arts teachers 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 visual arts teachers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for visual arts teachers
The hardest universities for visual arts teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for visual arts teachers 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 visual arts teachers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for visual arts teachers
The easiest schools for visual arts teachers to get into are Barry University, felician university, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a visual arts teacher 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 visual arts teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average visual arts teacher salary by education level
| Visual arts teacher education level | Visual arts teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,472 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,978 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,052 |
Visual arts teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025