Career And School Info For Interior Designers In California
Related Pages Detailing Characteristics for
Interior Designers
- Job Tasks and Activities, including working conditions
- Personal Skills and knowledge required
- Personal Characteristics, including interests and personality
- Career Summary, including overview, salary, education, and job titles
California Schools for This Career That Respond Quickly to Info Requests Through This Site
Schools below offer related online and distance education programs. School names link to detailed profiles. Please use the More links to contact one or more schools directly for additional information.
| School | Awards | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ITT Technical Institute | Associate, Bachelor, Diploma | ||
| International Academy of Design and Technology | Associate, Bachelor | ||
| The Art Institutes | Bachelor, Diploma | ||
| Westwood College | Bachelor |
Other California Schools for This Career
| School | Location | Students | Highest Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Art University | San Francisco | 11,334 | Masters |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria | 13,176 | Associates |
| American River College | Sacramento | 33,821 | Associates |
| Antelope Valley College | Lancaster | 13,312 | Associates |
| Art Center College of Design | Pasadena | 1,832 | Masters |
| Bethesda Christian University | Anaheim | 345 | Masters & professional |
| Butte College | Oroville | 12,228 | Associates |
| California College of the Arts | Oakland | 1,613 | Masters |
| California Institute of the Arts | Valencia | 1,324 | Masters |
| California State University-Chico | Chico | 17,034 | Masters |
| California State University-Sacramento | Sacramento | 28,829 | Doctoral |
| Canada College | Redwood City | 5,764 | Associates |
| Chabot College | Hayward | 13,229 | Associates |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga | 18,736 | Associates |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | 46,411 | Associates |
| College of Marin | Kentfield | 6,476 | Associates |
| College of the Canyons | Santa Clarita | 17,499 | Associates |
| Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo | 10,920 | Associates |
| Design Institute of San Diego | San Diego | 457 | Bachelors |
| Folsom Lake College | Folsom | 8,193 | Associates |
| Fullerton College | Fullerton | 20,719 | Associates |
| Interior Designers Institute | Newport Beach | 468 | Bachelors |
| Las Positas College | Livermore | 8,024 | Associates |
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | 25,536 | Associates |
| Los Angeles Mission College | Sylmar | 8,493 | Associates |
| Mendocino College | Ukiah | 4,347 | Associates |
| Modesto Junior College | Modesto | 18,546 | Associates |
| Monterey Peninsula College | Monterey | 9,238 | Associates |
| Moorpark College | Moorpark | 14,495 | Associates |
| Mount Jacinto College | San Jacinto | 14,197 | Associates |
| Mt San Antonio College | Walnut | 29,842 | Associates |
| Mt Sierra College | Monrovia | 511 | Bachelors |
| Ohlone College | Fremont | 11,083 | Associates |
| Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa | 24,424 | Associates |
| Otis College of Art and Design | Los Angeles | 1,177 | Masters |
| Palomar College | San Marcos | 27,222 | Associates |
| Porterville College | Porterville | 3,773 | Associates |
| Sacramento City College | Sacramento | 24,596 | Associates |
| Saddleback College | Mission Viejo | 18,371 | Associates |
| San Diego Mesa College | San Diego | 21,437 | Associates |
| San Diego Miramar College | San Diego | 10,650 | Associates |
| San Francisco Art Institute | San Francisco | 655 | Masters |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco | 30,125 | Doctoral |
| San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton | 18,668 | Associates |
| San Jose State University | San Jose | 31,906 | Masters |
| Santa Ana College | Santa Ana | 33,514 | Associates |
| Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara | 21,632 | Associates |
| Santa Monica College | Santa Monica | 28,958 | Associates |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | 25,626 | Associates |
| Solano Community College | Fairfield | 11,163 | Associates |
| The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles | Los Angeles | 4,644 | Bachelors |
| The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco | San Francisco | 1,031 | Associates |
| University of California-Berkeley | Berkeley | 34,940 | Doctoral & professional |
| University of California-Davis | Davis | 29,796 | Doctoral & professional |
| Ventura College | Ventura | 12,603 | Associates |
| West Valley College | Saratoga | 11,210 | Associates |

Career And School Info For Interior Designers In California
There are 56 local schools listed here, with some recommended for being particularly responsive to info requests through this site. Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Interior Designers
- Focus: For a focus on design, look at Fashion Institute, Santa Monica College, Design Institute of San Diego, and Academy of Art.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the schools on this page which have an More link.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider UC Davis, Mt Sierra College, San Jose State, and Sacramento State.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Interior Designers Institute, Design Institute of San Diego, Fashion Institute, and Fashion Institute.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Bethesda Christian, Los Angeles Mission College, Mt San Antonio College, and Chabot.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider College of Marin, Mendocino College, Monterey Peninsula College, and City College.
School Setting
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of California Institute of the Arts, Cal Berkeley, UC Davis, and San Francisco Art Institute.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Cal Berkeley and UC Davis.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Cal Berkeley, San Francisco Art Institute, California Institute of the Arts, and Otis College of Art and Design.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at California Institute of the Arts, San Francisco Art Institute, Art Center, and Otis College of Art and Design.
Working as an Interior Designer in California
Interior designers combine wall treatments, fabrics, furniture, lighting, flooring, window treatments, fixtures, accessories and artwork to create spaces with character, mood and function. They work with homeowners to create a living space suited to their lifestyle and taste. Restaurants, hotels, hospitals, airports, retail stores, theaters, shopping malls, and schools hire interior designers to boost profits, property value and productivity. Read a detailed Interior Designer job description
State Requirements
- The State of California's California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC) determines eligibility for all interior designers in California.
- To practice, the CCIDC requires interior designers to be Certified Interior Designers.
- Entry-level interior designers are required to pass a single certification exam as of 2009 - the IDEX-California. To qualify to take the test, applicants must have 2 years of interior design education or between 5-8 years of interior design experience. More experienced designers have different requirements. Entry-level interior designers gain work experience as apprentices or assistants.
- Having passed the IDEX-California, to become a Certified Interior Designer, applicants must have a minimum combined total of 8 years interior design education and diversified interior design experience, depending on years of education.
- Once all requirements are met, interior designers must apply for certification and pay fees.
- To renew certification, CIDs must complete of 10 hours of continuing education.
Major Industries
The top three California industries hiring interior designers include Architectural and Engineering Services, Residential Building Construction, and Specialized Design Services.
Major Employers
Related Careers
Online Schools for This Career That Respond Quickly to Info Requests Through This Site
Schools below offer related online and distance education programs. School names link to detailed profiles. Please use the More links to contact one or more schools directly for additional information.
| School | Awards | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| AIU Online | Associate | ||
| Ashworth College | Diploma | ||
| Berkeley College Online | Associate | ||
| ICS Canada | Diploma | ||
| Penn Foster Career School | Diploma | ||
| Stratford Career Institute | Diploma | ||
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division | Associate, Bachelor | ||
| Westwood College | Bachelor |

