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Director of interiors education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of interiors. Directors of interiors usually study interior design, business, or architecture. 68% of directors of interiors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 89 real director of interiors resumes to see exactly what director of interiors education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of interiors are the Kansas State University and the Kansas State University.

There are also many online director of interiors courses to help get the education required to be a director of interiors.

What education do you need to become a director of interiors?

What degree do you need to be a director of interiors?

The most common degree for directors of interiors is bachelor's degree, with 68% of directors of interiors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Master's, 15%
  • Associate, 12%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a director of interiors?

You should major in interior design to become a director of interiors. 21% of directors of interiors major in interior design. Other common majors for a director of interiors include business and architecture.

Most common colleges for directors of interiors

Directors of interiors often get their degrees at Kansas State University, Michigan State University, and University of Cincinnati. Here are the most common colleges for directors of interiors in the US based on their resumes.
Director of interiors common collegePercentages
Kansas State University15.38%
Michigan State University7.69%
University of Cincinnati7.69%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor7.69%
Syracuse University3.85%

Best majors for directors of interiors

RankMajorPercentages
1Interior Design20.6%
2Business19.1%
3Architecture14.7%
4Interior Architecture5.9%
5Management4.4%

Best colleges for directors of interiors

The best colleges for directors of interiors are University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and Cornell University.

A director of interiors with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of interiors. 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 directors of interiors.

1. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

2. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

20 best online courses for directors of interiors

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7. Construction Procurement Management

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8. Intro to Interior Design Course

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17. Construction Claims Management

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18. Construction Claims Management - (9 PDUs)

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19. Create & Design a Modern Interior in Blender

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20. World of Graphic Design & Infographics

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of interiors

The most affordable schools for directors of interiors are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for directors of interiors 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 directors of interiors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of interiors

The hardest universities for directors of interiors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for directors of interiors 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 directors of interiors 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. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of interiors

The easiest schools for directors of interiors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of interiors 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 directors of interiors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average director of interiors salary by education level

Directors of interiors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $132,589 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, directors of interiors earn a median annual income of $121,172 compared to $103,274 for directors of interiors with an Associate degree.
Director of interiors education levelDirector of interiors salary
Master's Degree$132,589
Bachelor's Degree$121,172
Some College/ Associate Degree$103,274

Director of interiors education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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