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Interior design professor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an interior design professor. Interior design professors usually study interior design, architecture, or business. 71% of interior design professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 74 real interior design professor resumes to see exactly what interior design professor education sections show.

The most common colleges for interior design professors are the Miami University and the Miami University.

There are also many online interior design professor courses to help get the education required to be an interior design professor.

What education do you need to become an interior design professor?

What degree do you need to be an interior design professor?

The most common degree for interior design professors is bachelor's degree, with 71% of interior design professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an interior design professor?

You should major in interior design to become an interior design professor. 49% of interior design professors major in interior design. Other common majors for an interior design professor include architecture and business.

Most common colleges for interior design professors

Interior design professors often get their degrees at Miami University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Cazenovia College. Here are the most common colleges for interior design professors in the US based on their resumes.
Interior design professor common collegePercentages
Miami University7.41%
Savannah College of Art and Design7.41%
Cazenovia College7.41%
Florida Atlantic University7.41%
Texas A&M University7.41%

Best majors for interior design professors

RankMajorPercentages
1Interior Design49.3%
2Architecture11.9%
3Business6.0%
4Graphic Design6.0%
5Apparel And Textiles3.0%

Best colleges for interior design professors

The best colleges for interior design professors are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

An interior design professor 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 professors. 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 professors.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

20 best online courses for interior design professors

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4. Mastering Interior Design Styles

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17. Graphic Design Theory - Color & Contrast

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18. How to Work with Interior Design Styles Like a Pro

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19. Learn Professional 2D Game Graphic Design in Photoshop

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20. Graphic Design Foundations in Canva: Theory and Projects

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Top 10 most affordable universities for interior design professors

The most affordable schools for interior design professors are University of Florida, florida international university, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for interior design professors 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 professors.

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. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for interior design professors

The hardest universities for interior design professors to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for interior design professors 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 professors 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for interior design professors

The easiest schools for interior design professors to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, la roche college, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an interior design professor 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 professors.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

8. Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Weatherford, OK • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,085

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average interior design professor salary by education level

According to our data, interior design professors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $86,205 annually. Interior design professors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $76,009.
Interior design professor education levelInterior design professor salary
Master's Degree$76,009
Doctorate Degree$86,205

Interior design professor 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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