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New York City has one of the strongest interior design school markets in the country, with specialized design colleges, public colleges, private art schools, university certificates, and architecture programs.
Students can choose from 1-year certificates, 2-year associate degrees, 4-year bachelor’s degrees, graduate programs, and online interior design certificates.
Costs vary widely, from relatively low SUNY and CUNY tuition to private design school tuition that can exceed $40,000 to $60,000 per year before housing, supplies, software, and portfolio costs.
1 New York School of Interior Design
New York School of Interior Design is a private college in Manhattan focused specifically on interior design and interior architecture.
It is one of the most direct choices in New York City for students who know they want to study interiors rather than general art, architecture, or decoration.
NYSID can be a good fit for beginners, career changers, transfer students, and students who want a school built entirely around interior design education.
Programs Offered
NYSID offers several interior design programs, including a Basic Interior Design Certificate, Associate in Applied Science in Interior Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design, Master of Fine Arts options, and professional graduate programs.
Students may study space planning, drafting, lighting, materials, building systems, codes, sustainability, color, furniture, design history, digital design, professional practice, and portfolio development.
The Basic Interior Design Certificate is especially useful for students who want a 1-year introduction before deciding whether to continue into a degree.
Tuition and Cost
NYSID is a private design school, so costs are much higher than public college options.
Full-time tuition can be around $24,000 per semester for some programs, while per-credit tuition for graduate and professional programs can be around $1,600 per credit.
Students should also budget about $1,000 to $3,000 per year for software, laptop needs, books, drawing supplies, printing, materials, samples, and portfolio work.
Program Length
The Basic Interior Design Certificate is usually about 1 year.
The AAS degree is usually about 2 years.
The BFA is usually about 4 years.
Graduate programs may take about 2 to 3 years depending on the track.
Address: 170 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021
2 Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion Institute of Technology is a public SUNY college located in Manhattan.
It is one of the best-value interior design options in New York City because it offers a direct interior design program with much lower tuition for New York residents than most private design schools.
FIT is a good fit for students who want a design-focused campus, technical training, and a clear associate-to-bachelor’s pathway.
Programs Offered
FIT offers an Associate in Applied Science in Interior Design and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design.
Students study design fundamentals, drafting, construction documents, programming, field condition documentation, materials, lighting, space planning, working drawings, professional practice, and project documentation.
The program is practical and career-focused.
Students learn how to develop interiors from early research and planning through drawings, documentation, and project presentation.
Tuition and Cost
FIT tuition is comparatively affordable for New York residents.
Associate-level tuition for New York residents is about $2,895 per semester, while bachelor’s-level tuition for New York residents is about $3,585 per semester.
Out-of-state students pay much more, often around $8,685 per semester at the associate level and over $10,000 per semester at the bachelor’s level.
Students should also budget about $1,000 to $2,500 per year for supplies, software, printing, books, materials, and portfolio development.
Program Length
The AAS degree is usually about 2 years.
The BFA is usually another 2 years after the associate degree, for about 4 years total.
Address: 227 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001-5992
3 Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art and design college located in Brooklyn.
It is one of the strongest New York City options for students who want a full interior design degree in a highly creative design-school environment.
Pratt is a good fit for students who want studio work, portfolio development, design theory, and access to a larger architecture, art, and design community.
Programs Offered
Pratt offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design and a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design.
The BFA includes interior design studios, materials, lighting, building systems, furniture, sustainability, design history, digital tools, visual communication, and professional practice.
The MFA option is useful for students who already have a design background or want advanced study.
Pratt’s interiors curriculum is more intensive than a short certificate and includes a strong studio sequence with critiques and portfolio-building projects.
Tuition and Cost
Pratt is a private college, so tuition is significantly higher than public college options.
Undergraduate tuition and fees can reach several tens of thousands of dollars per year before housing, meals, books, and supplies.
Interior design students should budget about $1,500 to $4,000 per year for software, laptop requirements, studio supplies, printing, models, samples, tools, and portfolio materials.
Program Length
The BFA is usually a 4-year, 126-credit program.
The MFA is usually about 2 years, though students without a design background may need additional preparatory coursework.
Address: 144 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011
4 Parsons School of Design
Parsons School of Design is part of The New School and is located in Manhattan.
It is one of New York City’s best-known private design schools and can be a strong choice for students who want interior design connected to architecture, product design, lighting, social practice, and creative research.
Programs Offered
Parsons offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design and a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design.
It also offers an online Interior Design Certificate for students who want a shorter, flexible option.
The BFA includes studio work, spatial design, materials, lighting, design communication, construction thinking, digital modeling, professional practice, and portfolio development.
The certificate covers spatial and structural design, drawing, sketching, hand drafting, computer modeling, circulation, and client psychology.
Tuition and Cost
Parsons is a private design school, so degree programs are expensive.
Full-time tuition can exceed $50,000 per year before housing, fees, books, and supplies.
The online Interior Design Certificate costs about $8,120.
Students in degree programs should also budget about $1,500 to $4,000 per year for software, laptop needs, studio supplies, printing, materials, models, and portfolio work.
Program Length
The BFA is a 4-year, 120-credit program.
The online certificate includes 8 courses and is typically completed in about 18 months.
The MFA is usually about 2 years.
Address: 66 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
5 School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts is a private art and design college located in Manhattan.
Its interior design program is a good fit for students who want to study interiors through a creative, built-environments lens.
SVA may appeal to students interested in interiors, public spaces, retail, hospitality, exhibition environments, and the relationship between people and designed spaces.
Programs Offered
SVA offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design: Built Environments.
Students complete coursework in interior design studios, spatial design, drawing, digital tools, materials, lighting, design history, presentation, building systems, and portfolio development.
The program focuses on interior environments as lived, social, and functional spaces.
Students should expect studio projects, critiques, and visual presentation work throughout the degree.
Tuition and Cost
SVA is a private college, so students should expect annual tuition to be much higher than public college options.
Tuition can be around $50,000 per year before housing, fees, books, supplies, and materials.
Interior design students should also budget about $1,000 to $3,000 per year for software, computer needs, printing, studio supplies, models, and portfolio development.
Program Length
The BFA requires about 120 credits and is usually completed in 4 years.
Address: 209 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
6 New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology is a private university with a New York City campus and additional locations.
It is a useful option for students who want an interior design degree connected to technology, architecture, building systems, and applied design.
The school may be a good fit for students who want a professional design education with a technical angle.
Programs Offered
New York Tech offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design.
Students may study design studios, space planning, building systems, materials, lighting, digital design, drawing, construction documentation, sustainability, professional practice, and portfolio development.
The program is more comprehensive than a short residential decorating course because it includes both design studio work and technical preparation for interior environments.
Tuition and Cost
New York Tech is a private university, so tuition is generally much higher than SUNY or CUNY options.
Students should expect annual tuition and fees to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Interior design students should also budget about $1,000 to $3,000 per year for software, laptop requirements, books, studio materials, printing, models, and portfolio expenses.
Program Length
The BFA is usually a 4-year program.
Address: Edward Guiliano Global Center, 1855 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
7 New York City College of Technology
New York City College of Technology, also called City Tech, is a public CUNY college located in Brooklyn.
It does not offer a standard interior design degree, but it is one of the most practical public options for students interested in architecture, architectural technology, drafting, CAD, and building design.
This can be a good fit for students who want technical design skills at a lower public college cost.
Programs Offered
City Tech offers an Associate in Applied Science in Architectural Technology, a Bachelor of Technology in Architectural Technology, and a professional Bachelor of Architecture.
Students can study architectural drawing, building systems, construction documents, digital design, CAD, Revit, technical documentation, environmental design, and design studio work.
For interior design students, this route is useful if the goal is interior architecture, adaptive reuse, construction documents, space planning, or technical design support.
Students who want furniture, textiles, color, and interiors-specific studio work should compare City Tech with NYSID, FIT, Pratt, Parsons, or SVA.
Tuition and Cost
City Tech is part of CUNY, so tuition is much lower than private design schools for New York residents.
Full-time in-state tuition is commonly around $6,900 to $7,000 per year before fees, while out-of-state students pay more.
Students should also budget about $500 to $2,000 per year for books, software, drafting supplies, printing, models, and portfolio materials.
Program Length
The AAS is usually about 2 years.
The Bachelor of Technology is usually about 4 years total.
The professional Bachelor of Architecture is usually a 5-year, 160-credit program.
Address: 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Schools Summary Table
Read the full guide: How to Become a Certified Interior Designer
Interior Design Schools by City
Interior Design Schools by State