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Freelance Art Director Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a freelance art director. Freelance art directors usually study graphic design, fine arts, or design and visual communication. 79% of freelance art directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,312 real freelance art director resumes to see exactly what freelance art director education sections show.
The most common colleges for freelance art directors are the School of Visual Arts and the School of Visual Arts.
There are also many online freelance art director courses to help get the education required to be a freelance art director.
What education do you need to become a freelance art director?
What degree do you need to be a freelance art director?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 7%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a freelance art director?
- Graphic Design, 40%
- Fine Arts, 15%
- Photography, 5%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for freelance art directors
Freelance Art Director Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| School of Visual Arts | 20.00% |
| Art Center College of Design | 8.78% |
| Pratt Institute | 8.29% |
| Syracuse University | 7.80% |
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 5.61% |
Best majors for freelance art directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 40.3% |
| 2 | Fine Arts | 14.9% |
| 3 | Design And Visual Communication | 8.1% |
| 4 | Photography | 5.4% |
| 5 | Advertising | 5.3% |
Best colleges for freelance art directors
The best colleges for freelance art directors are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Duke University.
A freelance art director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for freelance art directors. 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 freelance art directors.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for freelance art directors
Advertising Disclosure
1. Visual Design (Part Time)
Gain the vocabulary and tools to tackle diverse design challenges on the job. Kickstart your portfolio and create beautiful, responsive designs for the web. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
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3. Photoshop and Photography Digital Art Compositing Course
Learn Adobe Photoshop CC and photography by designing levitation digital art composites from four photoshoots...
4. Graphic Design Mastery- AI, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign
Graphic Design for beginners including Graphic Design Theories, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, AI & Creative Thinking...
5. Graphic Design Mastery: The FULL Branding & Design Process
Follows the FULL Graphic Design Process for A Company: Logo, Ad, Social Media, T-Shirt, Package, Website Design & More!...
6. The Freelance Masterclass: For Creatives
The Ultimate Guide to Freelancing: Learn to Price Projects, Build Portfolios, Find Clients, Brand Yourself & More!...
7. Android Material UI Design Masterclass with Adobe Xd
Learn to Design Mobile Apps following the guidliness of Material System Design using Adobe Xd...
8. Photoshop CC for Beginners: Adobe Photoshop Course
This Adobe Photoshop CC course will teach you the basics of Photoshop for web design, graphic design, photography & more...
9. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Advanced Training Using Adobe CC
Project-Based Learning For Intermediate Designers: Use Photoshop, Lightroom, and Other Adobe Creative Cloud Programs...
10. Learn Photoshop, Web Design & Profitable Freelancing 2023
Learn Adobe Photoshop and use it to create amazing website designs and create a high, stable income. No coding needed!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for freelance art directors
The most affordable schools for freelance art directors are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and lehman college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for freelance art directors 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 freelance art directors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
F
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,740
Cost of Attendance
17,864
L
3. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,210
Cost of Attendance
14,359
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for freelance art directors
The hardest universities for freelance art directors to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for freelance art directors 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 freelance art directors 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
9%
SAT Average
1,516
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for freelance art directors
The easiest schools for freelance art directors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a freelance art director 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 freelance art directors.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,026
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
Average freelance art director salary by education level
| Freelance Art Director education level | Freelance Art Director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,632 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $71,895 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $98,505 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $80,614 |
Freelance Art Director 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