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Interior design director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an interior design director. Interior design directors usually study interior design, architecture, or fine arts. 71% of interior design directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 234 real interior design director resumes to see exactly what interior design director education sections show.
The most common colleges for interior design directors are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online interior design director courses to help get the education required to be an interior design director.
There are certain interior design director certifications that you should consider. These interior design director certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and National Council Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ).
What education do you need to become an interior design director?
What degree do you need to be an interior design director?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 10%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an interior design director?
- Interior Design, 59%
- Architecture, 9%
- Fine Arts, 6%
- Other Majors, 22%
Most common colleges for interior design directors
| Interior design director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 11.76% |
| University of Houston | 7.84% |
| Syracuse University | 5.88% |
| Drexel University | 5.88% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.88% |
Best majors for interior design directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interior Design | 59.1% |
| 2 | Architecture | 9.4% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 6.4% |
| 4 | Interior Architecture | 3.5% |
| 5 | Business | 3.5% |
Best colleges for interior design directors
The best colleges for interior design directors are Cornell University, Yale University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An interior design 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 interior design 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 interior design directors.
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 Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for interior design directors
Advertising disclosure
1. Mastering Interior Design Styles
Criteria and Characteristics Of Different Interior Design Styles Simplified...
2. Materials and Finishes in Interior Design
All You Need To Know About The Materials And Finishes Used In Interior Spaces For Ceiling, Walls And Floors...
3. Intro to Interior Design Course
This course will give you good base of knowledge about interior design enough to start designing few project of your own...
4. How to Work with Interior Design Styles Like a Pro
Interior Design Styles Demystified...
5. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects
Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...
6. Interior Design for your Modern Home: A Room by Room Guide
Learn how to take charge of your home interior design and confidently make the right design decisions...
7. Use Minimalist Interior Design to Live your Best Life
Minimalist Interior Design Deconstructed...
8. How to Design a Room in 10 Easy Steps
Interior Design Made Simple...
9. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners
Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...
10. 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!...
11. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...
12. Create & Design a Modern Interior in Blender
Learn how to design a realistic interior in Blender 3D!...
13. Digital Design Masterclass For Graphic Designers
Icon Set Design, E-book cover, Digitizing Sketches, Social Media Design, Wordpress Web Design, Adobe Xd, GIFS and more!...
14. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects
Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...
15. Styling and Staging Interior Spaces
Interior styling and staging is the key to character and interest in interior projects...
16. Architectural Design Tools in Blender - 3D Design
Develop your creative and technical skills to create photo realistic architectural scenes and beautiful 3D models...
17. Design your Room Using Sketchup
Learn the principles of interior design and how to use Sketch Up to make a 3D model of a bedroom's layout and décor...
18. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Advanced Training Using Adobe CC
Project-Based Learning For Intermediate Designers: Use Photoshop, Lightroom, and Other Adobe Creative Cloud Programs...
19. Canva Graphic Design for Entrepreneurs - Design 11 Projects
Learn Canva from scratch. Create 11 graphic design projects with Canva specifically for entrepreneurs...
20. Become a Professional Graphic Designer
Learn what you need to know to break into the world of graphic design...
Top 10 most affordable universities for interior design directors
The most affordable schools for interior design directors are University of Florida, florida international university, and university of south florida.
If the best universities for interior design 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 interior design directors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
3. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
4. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
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 interior design directors
The hardest universities for interior design directors to get into are Cornell University, Yale University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for interior design 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 interior design 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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
2. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for interior design directors
The easiest schools for interior design directors to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, notre dame de namur university, and la roche college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an interior design 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 interior design directors.
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. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
4. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Lamar University
Beaumont, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,043
Average interior design director salary by education level
| Interior design director education level | Interior design director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,607 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,263 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $79,120 |
Interior design director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025