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Top colleges for interior design
If you love decorating rooms and organize furniture, and interested to explore more about spatial arrangements, colours and textiles then you might consider pursuing an education in Interior Design. Interior Designing is not merely decorating a space but it studies also includes ergonomics, spatial concepts, computer-aided drawing, psychology and many more. In addition, an interior designer is also required to have good interpersonal and communication skills and must be a people’s person. After all, you have to understand your client’s needs and what they expect. From doctors to celebrities you will be handling a diverse background of clients. Therefore, gaining a quality education is an important factor which will keep you ahead of trends and technology. Here are some of the best-known schools in the world for Interior Design.
1. Pratt Institute, New York
Located in New York, the interior design capital of the United States, Pratt Institute is a private university offering programs in Architecture, Design and Liberal Arts. The undergraduate (B.F.A.) and graduate (M.F.A.) degrees in Interior Design are offered by Pratt’s School of Design. Pratt’s Interior Design programs at all levels have been ranked among top 5 in the United States and among top 10 in the world for several years by various professional surveys such as DesignIntelligence, Domus, QS World University Rankings and more. The Interior Design programs are architecturally oriented programs where students can learn all aspects of interior design – space, light source, materials, textures, colours, proportion, environment responsibility, human environment, culture and more. Stimulating studios and design projects with the industry are part of the programs. The application process to Pratt is online, interested students must check the school website for the overall admission requirement before applying.
2. Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design or SCAD is a private art school located in Savannah, Atlanta, and Hong Kong. The school also provides study abroad opportunities in Lacoste, France, and online programs. SCAD offers BFA, MA and MFA degrees in Interior Design, designed to impart critical thinking, collaborative teamwork, communication, ethics and additionally teach aspiring designers to create designs keeping environmental, social and global design practice in their minds. You can choose multiple majors suiting your needs – Furniture Design, Urban Design, Themed entertainment design to name a few. In 2018, SCAD’s undergraduate and graduate interior design programs have been ranked No.1 in the United States and among top 10 in the world by DesignIntelligence, the ranking and publication body of the Design Futures Council. The application process for enrollment into SCAD is online, interested students must check the school website, select the enrollment type and apply accordingly.
3. Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design or RISD is one of the first Art and Design schools in the United States and among the consistently top-ranking schools in the world. The school located in Providence, Rhode Island offers full-time bachelor and master degrees in over 21 majors. Programs in Interior Design include BFA and MA/MDes in Interior Architecture, BFA and MFA in Furniture Design. Programs are known to be rigorous and include hands-on learning and studio-based learning. The school also offers a number of short term and certificate programs for candidates of all ages. RISD’s executive education is one of its kind offering customized programs or workshops for experienced professionals. Many alumni of RISD has gone on to become celebrity designers in their own fields. Admissions into RISD can be very selective, interested students must go through the application requirements and prepare a well-rounded application package.
4. Florence Design Academy, Florence
Florence Design Academy or FDA is one of Europe’s finest schools for design. FDA has been consistently ranked among the top schools worldwide to study interior design, graphic design, and industrial design. Students learn from faculties who are professionals and leaders in their fields. FDA offers one Academic Interior Design course designed for students without any prior design experience and one Master Interior Design course designed for graduates and professionals who wish to improve their skills and knowledge. In addition, the academy also offers an intensive dual Masters Course in Interior Design through which you can combine your Interior Design course with either a Master of Graphic Design or Industrial Design. All the programs are taught in the English language. Students can visit the website for details on the admission process.
5. New York School of Interior Design, New York
New York School of Interior Design is a private, not for profit college for interior designing studies. The school’s top ranking and unique interior design programs include BFA in Interior Design, MFA in Interior Design, MPS in Healthcare Interior Design, MPS in Lighting Design, MPS in Sustainable Interior Environments. The school also offers a Basic Interior Design Certificate Program and an Associate in Applied Science in Interior Design course for those without any prior background in this field. The school has a record job placement rate of 98% UG and 100% graduate students having employment or pursuing further studies six months after graduation during 2016-2017. It is a truly international school with students from over 55 countries. Interested applicants can check the school website for the online application procedure.
6. Visual College of Art & Design, Vancouver
Visual College of Art & Design (VCAD) Visual College of Art & Design, Vancouver is also known as the Vancouver College of Art & Design is a career college in Canada offering industry-oriented diploma programs leading to successful career outcomes. The college offer programs ranging from Architecture, Game Development to Interior Design. Interior Design aspirants can choose from VCAD’s normal Interior Design diploma program or Interior Design with Co-op option. The Co-op diploma program allows students to work in a real-world environment and enhance their skills and knowledge. The college recommends aspiring candidates to get in touch with one of their admission representatives to understand the admission and program details in -depth. You can also discuss your career goals and aspirations with the admission representative who can help you chose the right fit program.
7. Whitehouse Institute of Design, Australia
With campuses in Melbourne and Sydney, the Whitehouse Institute of Design is a private Design Institute which has been consistently regarded as one of the best design institutes around the world. The school is ranked as the No.1 school for Interior Design in Australia by Domain and other professional surveys. The institute offers 2 years full-time Bachelor of Design (Interior Design) and a 1-year Master of Design in a chosen discipline. In addition to Interior Design, the institute also offer programs in the areas of Fashion Design and Creative Direction & Styling. Whitehouse has a truly global alumni network and a high-profile industry linkage giving students the perfect platform to go global and showcase their talents. The school is home to many distinguished leaders in their respective fields.
8. RMIT University, Melbourne
RMIT University is an Australian public research university. Located in Melbourne, the university is one of the world’s leading Arts and Design schools and is also one of Australia’s wealthiest universities. The university offers a vast number of full-time programs, short courses, online courses among others. Interior Design courses offered by RMIT are Associate Degree in Interior Decoration and Design; Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration; Bachelor of Interior Design and a Certificate IV in Interior Decoration, each course is carefully designed to meet specific individual needs and career outcomes. Programs are taught by industry experts while students are also given the opportunity to travel and engage with the industry through real-world projects and workshops and thus creating job-ready skilled candidates. Each course has a specific requirement for admission, interested students may check the RMIT program website for admission details prior to applying.
9. Dublin Institute of Design, Dublin
Ireland’s Dublin Institute of Design (DID) is another top-ranking design school of Europe and the world. The institute offers cutting-edge programs in Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Interior & CAD Design, and UX Design & Front-End Development courses. The school offers a number of interior designing courses from Higher National Diploma to BA. In addition, short courses in Interior Design skills and CAD are also offered which can range from 6 to 10 weeks. DID is also the longest established private higher education college for specialized design in the Republic of Ireland.
10. The Interior Design School, London
The Interior Design School in London which specializes solely in imparting interior designing education and practice is among the world’s best-known interior design schools. The school offers a series of programs ranging from a Professional Diploma in Interior Design, Diploma in Residential Design to part-time evening courses, each course designed for individuals with diverse requirements and backgrounds. The school not only offer courses which can qualify you to be an Interior Designer but also designed for individuals who wish to gain specific knowledge and further develop their personal spaces. Programs are taught by practicing designers and specialists. Students can fill up the online application form on the Institute website to apply for a specific course.
Best interior design schools in the world
If you are considering applying to interior design schools, you’ll want to research all your options first. As more states continue to require licensure for interior designers—which typically comprises a combination of classroom education, professional experience, and passing a standardized exam—formal education is becoming increasingly important in the interior design profession. Certain schools on this list are recognized by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, or CIDA, which means they have been found to meet the highest standards for interior design education—a designation that may help ensure students are learning what the industry considers to be the fundamentals.
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Regardless of an aspiring designer’s exact career path and whether licensure is a goal, the right undergraduate programs in interior design or interior architecture are sure to provide the sort of rigorous training and access to internship opportunities that will set a student up for success. Here are 16 programs to know.
Editor’s note: The costs mentioned for each school are an estimate of the tuition plus mandatory fees, and do not include room and board. Costs will vary from student to student. The job placement statistics shown here feature the most recently available data for each program or university, if program-specific data was not available.
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design consistently appears on top lists for interior design colleges near and far; in fact, 2020 marks the eighth time in 12 years that it received the top ranking on DesignIntelligence’s list of best interior design schools. SCAD also ranked second on the prestigious Red Dot Design Rankings in 2019. The program encourages collaborative projects, innovation, critical thinking, effective communication, and professional ethics. Of course, SCAD’s offerings extend beyond its classrooms. Each year, SCAD hosts SCADstyle, a three-day event filled with industry-renowned designers, architects, and editors. Plus, its collaborative design studio called SCADpro offers a way for top students to gain real-world experience. Career prep is also paramount; résumé and portfolio development, mock interviews, and self-promotion are all built into the curriculum. And satellite campuses in Atlanta and Lacoste, France, offer students access to a global education.
Program: Interior Design
Location: Savannah
Degree offered: BFA, M.A., and MFA
CIDA accredited: Yes
Local opportunities: Yes. High-level internships are encouraged in Atlanta and Savannah.
Cost: $38,340
Job placement: 99% placement in design positions or enrollment in graduate school for interior design graduates
Notable alumni: Christian Sottile, Maruja Fuentes
The New School, Parsons School of Design
With the very first interior design curriculum launched in the U.S. in 1906, Parsons has long framed interior design as an “intellectually rigorous creative force in everyday life.” Today this research-based, intensive curriculum provides a solid foundation for a career in interior design. As part of Parsons’s School of Constructed Environments, interior design students work closely with faculty, peers, and outside professionals to design spaces that consider sustainability, diversity, and well-being. Coursework ranges from study of materiality, art history, and design theory to hand drawing, renderings, and three-dimensional modeling. While Parsons offers a four-year BFA as well as graduate programs for concentrated fields, its two-year Associate of Applied Science interior design degree is a great option for anyone with prior college education. But, no matter which program they choose, graduates will leave well prepared to pursue work in interior, lighting, set, event, and exhibition design, as well as historic preservation.ADVERTISEMENT
Program: Interior Design
Location: New York City
Degree offered: BFA
CIDA accredited: No
Local opportunities: Abundant. Parsons’s excellent connections and location give students access to influential firms and showrooms, museums, galleries, and auction houses.
Cost: $25,861
Job placement: 87% employment for Parsons School of Design graduates at large within the first year after graduation.
Notable alumni: Victoria Hagan, Jamie Drake, Mario Buatta, Albert Hadley, Angelo Donghia, Bob Williams
Cornell University
At Cornell, interior design is taught through the Design and Environmental Analysis program, part of the College of Human Ecology’s Human Centered Design Department. The STEM-certified program offers a flexible curriculum that requires students to complete foundational courses before focusing on electives that support individual educational goals. These specializations are organized around three primary research themes: design strategy and innovation, sustainable futures, and health and well-being. Throughout the Human Centered Design Department, tools and processes that are common in humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences are incorporated into each curriculum, offering a holistic and scholarly approach to design. Alongside their chosen area of expertise, students may also pursue a minor, honors thesis, or off-campus study. The D+EA program boasts faculty from a wide spectrum of disciplines and emphasizes innovation.
Program: Design and Environmental Analysis
Location: Ithaca, New York
Degree offered: B.S.
CIDA accredited: Yes
Local opportunities: Some. Many students participate in off-campus study or summer internships, typically in New York City, Washington, D.C., or abroad.
Cost: $39,466. Because the College of Human Ecology is a state contract college within the university, New York state residents are eligible for the in-state fee.
Job placement: All Spring 2021 graduates of the program were employed by December of that year.
Notable alumni: Art Gensler, Richard Meier
New York School of Interior Design
With its comprehensive interior design programs and focus on the liberal arts, NYSID produces apt critical thinkers who can look at design through social, cultural, and historical lenses. Students learn about presentation as well as business, legal, and administrative necessities, garnering effective communication skills and technical proficiency. NYSID’s curriculum also satisfies educational requirements for membership in industry associations and prepares them for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination.
Another reason NYSID is one of the best interior design schools? Its variety of programs. While its Bachelor of Fine Arts or Associate in Applied Science offers ample flexibility to earning an interior design degree, the school’s one-year Basic Interior Design Certificate Program offers a time-efficient way to learn the fundamentals. With required internships, study-abroad programs, and more than 100 faculty members who are practicing designers (with firms that include Gensler, HOK, and Perkins+Will), NYSID amply prepares graduates to enter the real world of interior design.
Location: New York City
Degree offered: AAS, BFA
CIDA accredited: Yes
Local opportunities: Many. NYSID’s extensive network of connections means internships and professional networking is easy to access.
Cost: $1,095 tuition per credit
Job placement: 95% of undergraduates, 98% of graduates, and 100% of MFA graduates have received jobs within 12 months of graduation
Notable alumni: Rose Tarlow, Penny Drue Baird
Syracuse University
At Syracuse University, Environmental and Interior Design students explore the art and architecture of design in a studio environment that mimics professional settings. Touted as one of the “Most Admired Interior Design Schools” by DesignIntelligence, Syracuse’s Environmental and Interior Design Program (EDI) encourages students to become creative problem solvers by challenging the status quo, understanding the various impacts of design, and embracing an acute awareness for social responsibility. The focus here is on cross-disciplinary philosophies and projects in addition to a broad liberal arts education. Syracuse’s interior design department also teaches visualization and communications skills alongside in-depth technical methods. Students are encouraged to study abroad in their junior year in London or Florence, and to pursue internships in Syracuse, New York City, and beyond.
Program: Environmental and Interior Design
Location: Syracuse, New York
Degree offered: BFA
CIDA accredited: Yes
Local opportunities: Yes, though students are also encouraged to look for opportunities beyond Syracuse.
Cost: $55,920
Job placement: 86% employment for Syracuse graduates
Notable alumni: Thom Filicia, Ian Schrager, Sol Le Witt
Drexel University
As part of the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel’s interior design degree blends design theory with real-world experience and rigorous professional preparation. General education requirements, combined with art, art history, and core interior design courses, set the stage for complex design studios. From there, human experience, materials, and form, and sustainability drive the course forward, teaching students how to bring a responsible approach to the creative process. By the time they earn their degree from the interior design program, students will be well-equipped to take on their senior project, a three-quarter capstone that allows undergraduates to explore a specific topic of interest.
Experiential learning is also paramount here and is executed through a professional co-op program, where students work at a firm for six months during their junior year. Drexel also emphasizes sustainable practices as inherent to contemporary design, and offers a minor in Sustainability in the Built Environment. Opportunities to study abroad abound, with programs in Sydney and Seoul as well as a shorter, seven-week studio in Denmark.
Program: Interior Design (undergraduate); Interior Architecture and Design (graduate)
Location: Philadelphia
Degree offered: B.S., M.S.
CIDA accredited: Yes
Local opportunities: Yes. Undergraduate students must complete a six-month professional co-op work experience, and internships are encouraged.
Cost: $17,956–$18,405 (plus $790 per-term fee) for undergraduates; $1,088 per credit hour for graduate students (plus $140–$280 fee)
Job placement: 91% of undergraduate students in 2019; 93% of graduate students
Notable alumni: Douglas Ellington, Maxfield Parrish
Fashion Institute of Technology
As one of the best interior design schools, the Fashion Institute of Technology has a solid track record of turning out creative professionals who go on to become successful entrepreneurs and artists. For its interior design program, the magic lies in its emphasis on practical skills and environmental standards through multidisciplinary studies and hands-on projects. Helping students gain proficiency in the latest technology, business, and presentation skills—as well as a firm foundation in the liberal arts—is an integral focus of the program, the largest of its kind in New York City. In addition to learning the fundamentals of design history and theory, students will develop a thorough understanding of lighting, computer modeling, and materials.ADVERTISEMENThttps://82136eb63af38aaa878304b0f9fc08ea.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Though the Fashion Institute of Technology’s interior design program is led by top talent, BFA-seeking undergraduates will get some more real-world experience through the two-semester capstone. Here, students are asked to create a design project, which will ultimately be evaluated by a jury of professionals. Throughout the capstone, each student is paired with a faculty member and industry mentor to further enhance their education. Alternatively, the Fashion Institute of Technology also offers a two-year AAS program, which will prepare students for an entry-level position in the industry.
Program: Interior Design
Location: New York City
Degree offered: AAS, BFA
CIDA accredited: Yes
Local opportunities: Yes. Students have many opportunities to work and network with high-profile designers and architects at top firms such as Gensler and Rockwell Group.
Cost: $10,846 out-of-state; $3,585 in-state
Job placement: 68% for school-wide associate degrees, 88% for school-wide bachelor’s degrees.
Notable alumni: Kathryn Gustafson, Cathy Hobbs, Jhane Barnes, Calvin Klein
