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 Northern Virginia Community College, Tidewater Community College, Germanna Community College, and Thomas Nelson 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 Marymount and Virginia Commonwealth University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Northern Virginia Community College, Marymount, Thomas Nelson Community College, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Patrick Henry Community College, Central Virginia Community College, Virginia Western Community College, and Tidewater Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Marymount, Virginia Tech, Northern Virginia Community College, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Radford University, Virginia Tech, Marymount, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Virginia Tech.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Marymount, Virginia Tech, Radford University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Virginia Commonwealth University • Richmond, VA
Studying Interior Design (completion in 2004)
• 7/10/2011
"I'm very satisfied with my academic preparation and with the value I got for my tuition dollars. I would give my experience a 10 out of 10, even though I did not take advantage of all that was available to me. I went to VCU to pursue a degree in Interior Design and get a job in the field. I have done all that, so that is proof that VCU is worthy of getting that top score from me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You won't find a better school to get an Interior Design education or degree, unless you want to spend four or five times more in tuition. VCU is a state school that has excelled in turning out talented interior designers who have the skills and abilities to work in professional situations. It has been ranked among the top ten programs in the country. The faculty and staff are dedicated and have real-world experience. I don't think there is much more that you can ask for when going for the degree of your dreams. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The number of successful graduates and the number of students applying for admission to the Interior Design program attests to its reputation. Design Intelligence Magazine recently rated VCU's program as one of the ten best in the country. Current students are enjoying the program, and studies on where graduates end up prove that they are finding successful careers in the design field. |
| Program Quality | 10 | VCU was recently ranked among the top interior design programs in the country. I was very happy with my instructors and the caliber of teaching. We had a lot of support and help from the faculty, in addition to the opportunity to do internships at some of the leading architecture and design firms in the country. |
| Instruction | 10 | Again, the advisory board for the interior design program consists of some of the leading designers in the industry and they helped formulate and shape the academic program. The instructors were working designers in the field and loved what they did. Their enthusiasm was transferred to the students. They also were well connected in the corporate arena, so we had a lot of great contacts for jobs once we were ready to enter the workplace. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I think the program was pretty perfect. It was not all that easy, but neither was it grueling. We had a lot of fun while learning and there was a good balance between the "book learning" and theory and the practical, hands-on type of exercises. We had a lot of guest speakers and field trips and received a very well rounded education. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The Interior Design program is a very practical program that requires a great deal of hands-on learning. Yes, we had books that we were required to read, but for the most part, our instruction came from observing colors, patterns, shapes, and the way form and function work in an office or home environment. If I had been pursuing a degree in psychology or English, I'm sure my answer would be different. But the Interior Design program was very hands-on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | When it came to the core degree requirements, the scheduling was pretty rigid; however, the general education requirement courses had much more flexibility. You could take them online or during compressed sessions, whatever fit your schedule. This wasn't a problem for most of us. We all knew what we needed to do to get through the program. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had great support from the University. They have great facilities to support all the students, not just the design majors. In the Interior Design program, we had our own resource room with fabric and wood samples and lots of space to design and build mock-ups. We all had our own laptops with our specialized design programs, so most of us did not need to use the computer labs. But VCU does a great job of supporting the students, especially in the design program. |
| Social Life | 8 | VCU is located in downtown Richmond and has a rich calendar of social and athletic events and lots of other activities. It's close to Carytown and is just minutes from the popular areas of Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom. Although there are a lot of commuters going to school at VCU, they do get involved in activities. I was more interested in events that would advance my professional career, so I didn't attend that many parties. But I could have if I had chosen to. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not need to take advantage of the placement services since I found my job on my own. However, several of my classmates used the resources. They did have job postings, but the jobs were low level and low pay. It really was more worthwhile to go to networking events from the local chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) to make connections. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The Alumni network is probably a little above average, but I have not had the opportunity to get too involved. I know that VCU would love to have successful graduates come back and be resources for the current students, but I don't have that much extra time to devote to volunteering. I do participate in some events and have volunteered each year to have a student shadow me for a week. That is intense, but I think it gives students great insight into the life of a designer, since we have such diversified jobs. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.