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 schools with a focus on this career area, look at Fashion Institute, LIM College, New York City College of Technology, and Bronx Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider New York City College of Technology, Pace University-New York, NYIT, and Fashion Institute.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider LIM College, New York School of Interior Design, and Fashion Institute.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Bronx Community College, New York City College of Technology, NYIT, and NYIT - Old Westbury.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Sage College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of The New School, Pratt Institute-Main, School of Visual Arts, and LIM College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Cazenovia College, Rochester Institute of Technology, LIM College, and School of Visual Arts.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Rochester Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute-Main.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Fashion Institute, Pratt Institute-Main, and Buffalo State.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Rochester Institute of Technology, Sage College, Cazenovia College, and Buffalo State.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Pratt • Brooklyn, NY
Studying Interior Design (completion in 2005)
• 5/1/2011
"Degree cache helped me get my job because of the strong alumni network and close community ties. The architecture community is very close-knit, and everyone knows everyone."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Definitely, since it was a good value and the the school's name carries a lot of weight. But, with the economy the way it is, I might recommend a different career path, like industrial design or engineering/product design. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Several of my coworkers went to school with me (either as graduate or as undergraduate students), so that says something about the value of our degrees. Outside of NY and the architecture/design community, however, I don't think Pratt is very well know. This is because it is a very specialized school. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Pratt is a great school and is very specialized. Professors have industry experience, and there are tons of opportunities in NY for internships and for building portfolios. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 7 | The workload is definitely demanding. However, if you're really interested in design and have professors with experience, you'll do fine. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The whole city was our lab. NYC itself is the best classroom for designers, architects, and photographers. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | There are lots of options, including certificates and full BA and MA programs in several disciplines. I have no experience with summer courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Professors were always available, even though many have outside jobs. The campus is gorgeous and is in a great neighborhood. |
| Social Life | 8 | There's not really school spirit per se, but you make close friendships. I don't know about undergraduates, but I think most people lived off campus. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school's website lets you post your portfolio, so you can attract potential clients. There are a number of internship opportunities nearby and the school has an entire office devoted to placing interns. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | There are a lot of alums in the area. You stay really connected to people in your program and in other programs. Everyone at Pratt is so creative and share many interests. |
Syracuse University • Syracuse, NY
Studying Environmental And Interior Design (completion in 2010)
• 5/8/2011
"Not bad. No complaints."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I'd consider better-known programs first, but don't count SU out. It gets the job done... |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Not a well-known program in the field. Still, not seen as a bad way to learn the basics of the trade. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Could have been more challenging. I've learned more working in the field. |
| Instruction | 7 | Courses were not very challenging conceptually or practically. However I did feel prepared and well-connected professionally when I graduated. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Could have been more challenging. I've learned more since I began working in the field. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Academics were lacking. Our design history was worthwhile, but otherwise we were treated as book-dumb. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I think it was average. Not many options in the summer or online. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The shop and studios were pretty well-stocked. Professors were pushovers and we were left mostly to teach ourselves. |
| Social Life | 6 | I did not participate much in sports or school-themed parties/events. There was always activity on campus, though. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I felt prepared and well-connected upon graduation. Job placement for me and my peers has been good. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I felt prepared and well-connected upon graduation. Job placement for me and my peers has been good. |
Syracuse University • Syracuse, NY
Studying Visual Arts (completion in 1996)
• 7/6/2011
"It offered firm groundwork in theory and practice of design. It offered less information on how to run a business financially."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It may not offer everything, but it still was invaluable. I would take a finance course, too, and also the elective on managing a gallery. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Syracuse in general is average. But their art and photography programs are excellent once you're in. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Syracuse had an excellent art and design program. The professors all worked in galleries or as designers or as near-famous decorators outside the University as well. |
| Instruction | 8 | Many internships were offered. There were lots of small job and gallery opportunities to network, too. |
| How Difficult | 5 | A friend went to Yale's program, which I hear was more rigorous. Nevertheless, I felt mine was challenging at the time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The theory and intro courses are heavy the first 3 semesters. After that studio time was flexible and frequent. We signed up for credit hours and studio time with partners depending on our projects. One interior design course had us renovate an old theater as a class project. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Core requirements made things less flexible. I understand the core requirements have been reduced since 1996 to include less math and foreign language for art majors. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had a small museum and two galleries. We also had shows regularly. |
| Social Life | 5 | There were a lot of fraternities and drinking. Not my cup of tea. But there were a lot of serious students as well. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Almost all of my classmates had help with job placement. Many went overseas. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I get mail from them all the time. I attended a reunion several years ago. |
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