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Interior designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an interior designer. Interior designers usually study interior design, architecture, or fine arts. 69% of interior designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 18,375 real interior designer resumes to see exactly what interior designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for interior designers are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online interior designer courses to help get the education required to be an interior designer.
There are certain interior designer certifications that you should consider. These interior designer certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and National Council Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ).
What education do you need to become an interior designer?
What degree do you need to be an interior designer?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 6%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an interior designer?
- Interior Design, 57%
- Architecture, 7%
- Fine Arts, 6%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for interior designers
| Interior designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 12.23% |
| New York School of Interior Design | 9.91% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 6.95% |
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 6.08% |
| Michigan State University | 5.20% |
Best majors for interior designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interior Design | 57.0% |
| 2 | Architecture | 6.5% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 6.0% |
| 4 | Business | 5.7% |
| 5 | Graphic Design | 4.4% |
Best colleges for interior designers
The best colleges for interior designers are Cornell University, Yale University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
An interior designer 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 designers. 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 designers.
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. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
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. Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,080
Enrollment
30,795
20 best online courses for interior designers
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. How to Work with Interior Design Styles Like a Pro
Interior Design Styles Demystified...
4. 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...
5. How to Design a Room in 10 Easy Steps
Interior Design Made Simple...
6. Use Minimalist Interior Design to Live your Best Life
Minimalist Interior Design Deconstructed...
7. 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...
8. Styling and Staging Interior Spaces
Interior styling and staging is the key to character and interest in interior projects...
9. Create & Design a Modern Interior in Blender
Learn how to design a realistic interior in Blender 3D!...
10. How to Use Lighting Design to Transform your Home
Learn How to Use Lighting in your Interior Design Like a Pro...
11. 47 Graphic Design Projects for Photoshop Beginners
Photoshop graphic design for beginners! Includes 47 Photoshop projects for your graphic design portfolio...
12. Graphic Design Masterclass: Learn Graphic Design in Projects
Graphic design principles, typography, & color mastery using Illustrator, In Design, and Photoshop. For beginners & more!...
13. 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...
14. 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!...
15. Design Thinking: Customer Journey Mapping
Sure shot way to delight customers, recreate value proposition, improve customer experience (CX) & become profitable...
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. Graphic Design Masterclass - Learn GREAT Design
The Ultimate Graphic Design Course Which Covers Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design,Design Theory, Branding and Logo Design...
18. Master Graphic Design & Software with Practical Projects
Conquer Popular Graphic Design Projects: Logo, Package, Magazine, Book Cover Design, Branding, Digital Graphics & More!...
19. The Logo Design Process From Start To Finish
Learn every aspect of a logo design project from the initial meeting with client, the technical design and finalization...
20. Design is in the Details: How to Accessorize Like a Pro
Take your interior design from good to great by focusing on the details...
Top 10 most affordable universities for interior designers
The most affordable schools for interior designers are Fashion Institute of Technology, brigham young university, and florida international university.
If the best universities for interior designers 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 designers.
1. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,310
Cost of attendance
19,807
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for interior designers
The hardest universities for interior designers to get into are Cornell University, Yale University, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for interior designers 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 designers 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
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 Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for interior designers
The easiest schools for interior designers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of the incarnate word, and la roche college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an interior designer 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 designers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
6. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
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 designer salary by education level
| Interior designer education level | Interior designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,341 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,332 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,881 |
Interior designer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025