Top Interior Design Schools

Choosing the top interior design schools in the United States is a somewhat difficult task. Both art institutes and traditional fine art schools have much to offer, albeit approaching the interior design field from two different angles.

Whereas institutes tend to be more practical, often teaching students the business aspects of their field, traditional schools focus more on academics and the theory of design. This start difference makes for a difficult task when choosing the best interior design schools.

However, the best interior design school, traditional or not, must have an outstanding curriculum, hands-on training and superb internship and career options. The qualifications of its faculty are also important, as is its roster of successful alumni.

To help a potential student choose his/her top interior design school a bi-monthly report, titled “Design Intelligence,” has been ranking the top interior design colleges in the United States for more than a decade now. Their ranking is based on their comprehensive research and analysis of data regarding various design schools in the country.

The survey is based on the success rate of its graduates, making the information invaluable to students, parents, potential employers and even school counselors. However, the information is not free as you have to pay $40 to access the file: “America's Best Architecture & Design Schools.”

To help you make a smart and informed decision without having to pay the $40, here is a free report on some of the top rated schools as voted by many educational institutions, businesses and trade associations:

Top Interior Design Schools Online - the rise of accredited online colleges that allow you to study at your own pace, while receiving the same qualification, degrees, skills...

Sheffield School of Interior Design is one of the top choices for non-traditional college enrollment. It is among the best online interior design schools in New York, thanks to the varied innovations and technological advances that have made it closely resemble a traditional classroom setup.

New York City Reviews - when looking for interior design schools New York has one of the best selection pools in the world. As interior design education is multi-faceted, involving varied areas of artistry, natural talent and an 'eye' for art and learned skills...

California Top Reviews - tallying up all of the interior design schools California offers yields a number close to seventy, according to the California Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

Chicago Best Interior Design Schools - in Chicago, places like Columbia College have become very popular over the years as people realize interior designing is a rewarding career.

Texas Schools - this short list of interior design schools in Texas includes famous institutions like: University of North Texas, Stephen F. Austin State University and University of Texas School of Architecture.

Orlando interior design school - though Orlando is a large urban area with varied universities and colleges in the vicinity, very few of these educational centers offer Interior Design programs. University of Central Florida...

Top 10 Interior Design Schools Review

“Business Week” came up with a list of 60 schools that made the grade in the D-Schools List of “better than the rest” business and design schools. The magazine tapped the services of more than 22 experts in the field of design, brand and academic consultants from the business and design sectors to come up with the top interior design schools.

Professors, students and alumni were interviewed from the suggested colleges to see if the interior design program included business aspects of the profession. Six ranking companies in design were also interviewed to find out which business and design programs they find commendable and which school they prefer to hire new graduates. Another source is the “U.S. News Ranking and Reviews.”

Here are ten top interior design colleges ranked randomly.

1. California College of the Arts in San Francisco, Calif., has more than 1,660 students. It is in an academic partnership with UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and the Köln International School of Design in Germany. Its top employers are: MBH Architects, Anshen & Allen, Gensler, Pentagram and Dahlin Group Architecture, making this one of the more prestigious colleges of the top interior design school list. Tuition is $ 35,000 per annum plus $7,000 for room and board.
2. Cleveland Institute of Art in Cleveland, Ohio, offers 19 majors in design, art, integrated media and craft leading to 4-year undergraduate programs in Bachelor of Fine Arts. It is a private institution with over 500 students. It is in academic partnership with Case Western Weatherhead School of Management. Its partnering with local interior design firms for internship is one of its strength. Tuition fee is $33,000 plus $11,000 room and board.
3. Parsons The New School for Design in New York, NY, offers comprehensive studies in building space solutions. The New York campus has more than 4,000 undergraduate and graduate programs. As one the most well-known top interior design schools in the country, Parsons boasts of many famous alumni, including Norman Rockwell, Donna Karan, Tom Ford and Edward Hopper to name a few. Tuition fee is $38,000 per year plus $15,000 for room and board.
4. Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, has been consistently ranked as one of the top three interior design schools in the US. Its degree in BFA in Interior Design has the city of New York as its backdrop. The Institute is in partnership with Mayor Bloomberg's PLANYC 2030 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tuition is $37,000.
5. Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, R.I., is in partnership with Brown University and MIT Sloan. It's a top interior design school, with many graduates hired by Martha Stewart, Target and Nickelodeon. Tuition is $36,000 per year.
6. San Jose State University, School of Art and Design in San Jose, Calif., has more than 1,000 students in its Art and Design department. The programs all lead to a BFA in majors such as Interior Design, Graphic Design, Animation, Photography and more. Tuition fee for natives is $5,000 and for non-natives is $16,000.
7. School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the top interior design schools in the US that offers stringent program courses in Interior Architecture leading to a four-year degree in Bachelor of Interior Architecture. Tuition fee is $36,000 plus $10,000 for room and board.
8. New York School of Design in New York City offers one of the best graduate courses in the field of Fine Arts. Its undergraduate programs include Bachelor degrees, Master degrees, certificate programs and continuing/professional studies. Tuition is $23,000 per year.
9. University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, has a five-year BS Interior Design degree that consistently ranked high among top US interior design schools. The college is a unique top interior design school thanks to its partnership program with top interior design firms all over the world as an extension of its classroom and studio works. Student population is 22,000. Tuition is $10,000 for locals and $25,000 for out-of-state students.
10. Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, is accredited by Middle State Association of College & Schools Commission on Higher Education, National Association of Schools of Art & Design. The approach and methodology is traditional where problem-solving skills are developed. Student population is 1,800. Tuition fee is $36,000 plus $10,000 for room and board per year.

Other highly recommended top interior design schools are: Harrington College of Design; University of Kansas and Carnegie Mellon University.