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List of All U.S. Colleges with an Interior Design Major
When you enter a room, how do you feel? Is the space warm and inviting? Are there tasteful decorations and a welcoming atmosphere? This could be thanks to an interior designer. Interior designers make inside spaces aesthetically-pleasing and functional. They work with a wide range of facilities, from private homes to hospitals to office settings to hotel lobbies. If you have an eye for detail, an artistic mind, and technical competence, then interior design could be the path for you. To become an interior designer, you’ll usually need a bachelor’s degree. Although associate degree programs in interior design do exist, you may have difficulty finding a job beyond the assistant level unless you complete an additional two years of education (four years in total). A bachelor’s degree program in interior design typically includes coursework in areas like: Some states require practicing interior designers to be certified. That means passing an exam administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). There are different requirements for certification, including education and experience. Although there are master’s degree programs in interior design, people don’t typically need graduate degrees to practice. In addition to qualities and traits like design and aesthetic sense, successful interior designers should have skills such as: Many (but not all) interior designers work with clients as independent contractors, meaning they are effectively conducting their own businesses. This, of course, additionally demands a strong business sense and the ability to self-manage. Others work in interior design firms, construction sites, commercial stores, and other settings. No matter where they work, they will often travel to client spaces, too. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a median salary of $56,040 among interior designers in the U.S. in 2019. It’s a good idea to pursue interior design bachelor’s degree programs that are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). This will prepare you for your career, as well as the NCIDQ exam. Technology is fundamental to a strong interior design program. At Parsons School of Design, in which The New School’s program in interior design is housed, the coursework is intended to prepare students to “develop new design approaches using traditional fabrication methods as well as emerging technologies, such as bio-based materials and virtual and augmented reality.” Students should look for programs that use and train students to use the latest technologies for their education and careers, including CAD, a fundamental practice in the field. Becoming an interior designer requires hands-on practice. Look for programs that give students the opportunity to engage in experiential learning through internships, apprenticeships, and other real-world practice. Not only will this give you a strong foundation in your craft, but it will help you secure a job in the field after you graduate. Baylor University, for example, requires students to complete an internship with a qualified interior designer or architect for course credit. Students can also participate in a summer study abroad program to see examples of design and architecture firsthand in destinations like Britain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. When you start your program, you probably won’t know what your specialty will be, or if you’ll have one at all. That said, you should still seek out programs that will prepare you for a range of niches. Some common specialties are: Institution Location Adrian College Adrian, MI Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI Appalachian State University Boone, NC Arizona State University | ASU Tempe, AZ Auburn University Auburn, AL Ball State University | BSU Muncie, IN Baylor University Waco, TX California College of the Arts | CCA Oakland, CA California State University, Fresno | CSU Fresno Fresno, CA California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State Long Beach, CA Cazenovia College Cazenovia, NY Central Michigan University | CMU Mount Pleasant, MI Colorado State University | CSU Fort Collins, CO Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL Drexel University Philadelphia, PA East Carolina University | ECU Greenville, NC East Tennessee State University | ETSU Johnson City, TN Eastern Michigan University | EMU Ypsilanti, MI Endicott College Beverly, MA Florida International University | FIU Miami, FL Florida State University | FSU Tallahassee, Florida George Fox University | GFU Newberg, OR George Washington University | GW Washington, DC Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA High Point University High Point, NC Howard University Washington, DC Illinois State University | ISU Normal, IL Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis | IUPUI Indianapolis, IN Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana Bloomington, IN Indiana University of Pennsylvania | IUP Indiana, PA Iowa State University Ames, IA Kansas State University | KSU Manhattan, KS Kent State University Kent, OH Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY Maryland Institute College of Art | MICA Baltimore, MD Maryville University St. Louis, MO Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Middle Tennessee State University | MTSU Murfreesboro, TN New Jersey Institute of Technology | NJIT Newark, NJ New School New York, NY New York Institute of Technology | NYIT New York, NY North Dakota State University | NDSU Fargo, ND Northern Arizona University | NAU Flagstaff, AZ Ohio State University | OSU Columbus, OH Oklahoma State University | OSU Stillwater, OK Oregon State University | OSU Corvallis, OR Pratt Institute Brooklyn, NY Purdue University West Lafayette, IN Rochester Institute of Technology | RIT Rochester, NY Samford University Birmingham, AL San Francisco State University | SF State San Francisco, CA San Jose State University | SJSU San Jose, CA Savannah College of Art and Design | SCAD Savannah, GA Seattle Pacific University | SPU Seattle, WA South Dakota State University Brookings, SD Southern Illinois University Carbondale | SIU Carbondale, IL Suffolk University Boston, MA Texas Christian University | TCU Fort Worth, TX Texas State University San Marcos, TX The State University of New York at Buffalo | SUNY Buffalo Buffalo, NY University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH University of Florida Gainesville, FL University of Idaho Moscow, ID University of Kentucky Lexington, KY University of Memphis Memphis, TN University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota Minneapolis, MN University of North Carolina at Greensboro | UNC Greensboro Greensboro, NC University of Oklahoma Norman, OK University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin Austin, TX University of Washington Seattle, WA University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin Madison, WI Utah State University Logan, UT Valdosta State University | VSU Valdosta, GA Virginia Commonwealth University | VCU Richmond, VA Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA Washington State University | WSU Pullman, WA Wentworth Institute of Technology | WIT Boston, MA Western Michigan University | WMU Kalamazoo, MI Notice a school that’s missing? Email us and let us know! Top colleges use the Academic Index, a metric that represents the strength of your GPA and test scores, to filter out applicants before even looking at qualitative factors. Because extracurricular activities are so important for prospective interior design students, you should make sure adcoms get a chance to see your application by bringing an exemplary academic profile to the table. To find out your true odds of admission to the best interior design schools, we recommend trying our free Chancing Engine (it’s free). Informed by data like your academic records and extracurricular activities, it will estimate your real chances of admission to these and hundreds of other schools in the U.S.
What’s Covered:
Overview of Interior Design
What to Look for in a College as an Interior Design Major
Accreditation
Cutting-Edge Technologies
Experiential Learning Opportunities
Specializations
List of All U.S. Colleges With an Interior Design Major
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?
