The Best Interior Design Schools in the World

Most of the world’s adult population pursue a career to secure a job that pays well. This is true of interior designers working with interior styling services as well. By studying the art of creating a functional – and aesthetically pleasing – interior space of a building, the interior design is a job of passion! 

But some conditions lay a foundation for securing a fulfilling and well-paying interior design job. One of those conditions is the quality of training, which also gives training institutions their name and fame. 

So, what are the best interior design schools in the world? 

Well, they are all institutions that offer quality academic programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In addition, the schools offer world-class training that allows students to procure jobs anywhere in the world while carrying the mantle of the best-ranked institutions. When I first got into coastal interior design, it was my dream to go to New York to study – but you don’t have to! There are plenty of good schools available world-wide.  

If you are planning to pursue a career in interior design and are dreaming of doing so in the best institutions in the world, here are five among the top-rated schools that you should consider.

• The Pratt Institute (New York)

Pratt Institute is a private institution situated in Brooklyn, New York, and has campuses in Utica and Manhattan. At its inception in 1187, the institution majorly focused on architecture, engineering, and fine arts.

Today, interior design is one of the many career training programs offered by the Pratt Institute. Specifically, it is provided by Pratt’s School of Design, which is one of the six schools in the institution. 

Interior design is one of five undergraduate courses offered by the School of Design. The others are communications design, fashion design, foundation, and industrial design.  The school also offers graduate courses in interior design, communications design, industrial design, and package design.

Professional surveys such as QS World University Rankings and Design Intelligence, have ranked the interior design undergraduate and graduate programs at Pratt among the top five in the US and the top ten in the world. 

Students learn through collaborative work on small projects that are gradually developed into bigger ones. Courses in the program equip students with skills in interior design specialties including textures, design, space, colours, proportion, lighting, material choices, human environment, environment responsibility, and culture, among others. 

Students also have the opportunity of spending a semester at the Copenhagen International School, in Denmark, with tours to the Scandinavian hub of interior design.

• Savannah College of Art and Design (Multiple locations)

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is The University of Creative Careers situated in several places: Savannah, Atlanta, Georgia, and Hong Kong. The university also offers online learning and ‘study abroad opportunities’ in Lacoste, France as well as other locations.

Interior design is among the 46 programs offered in the private art school. Learners can pursue a B.F.A, M.A. or M.F.A. in interior design. Seventy-five minors and certificate programs are also offered in the university.

Studying interior design at Savanna allows you to meet your career goals while acquiring skills in critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and ethics. Learning interior design is carried out while bearing in mind social, environmental, and universal design requirements.

Areas of focus include urban design, themed entertainment, and furniture design, among others.

In 2018, Design Intelligence ranked SCAD’s graduate and undergraduate interior design programs the best in the US and listed the programs among the top 10 best interior design programs in the world. 

A degree from this college will give you skills in interior design that rank you among the best in the world.

• The Royal College of Art (London)

This London interior design hub is one of a kind, the only one in the world that exclusively offers postgraduate programs in art and design. It is a public research-based university with campuses in White city, Battersea, and South Kensington.

Studying at the Royal College of Art allows you a studio and workshop practical-oriented experience. Academic programs at the RCA are geared towards “shaping people who shape the world” through learning that lasts a lifetime.

The Royal College of Art has received several top rankings the most recent being the 2019 1st position in the art and design category in the QS World University Rankings.