Modern interior design styles are gradually dominating the design industry, creating a path for creativity and versatility in design.
Design schools have not been eliminated as improved subject areas have been introduced. If you want to become an interior designer, now will be a good time to check out California’s best interior design schools.
California is regarded as the most populated state in the U.S. due to the business activities run in the city. Furthermore, a lot of schools have foundations in this city.
In this article, you will learn how to become an interior designer, the best designs schools, an interior designer’s salary, and much more.
Table of contents
How can I become an Interior Designer in California?
Most times, people have a lot of misconceptions about the process taken to become an interior designer. For this reason, we sought to remove these facts by clearly stating the correct pathway.
LearnhowtoBecome has given us some key steps. Hence, they include;
- Get a Bachelor Degree
- Take the National Council Exam
- Take some Projects
- Expand your Portfolio
- Increase your Opportunities
Get a Bachelor Degree
In our article on best interior design schools in the world, we outlined the processes involved in helping you make a good decision on the type of program you should choose. Therefore, we advise you to refer to it.
However, if you want to become an Interior Designer in California, you must obtain a degree. This degree will be the foundational path of your growth. In essence, you will understand the system that guide designs in addition to learning art techniques.
Finding a school for your course of study will depend on your time and budget. In the meantime, you can check out our list of best interior design schools in California.
Take the National Council Exam
This is a condition guarding some states in the U.S. However, Interior designers in California aren’t required to take the exam.
I believe you might be thinking its a good chance to evade another tedious examination, but, you should know you’re short-changing yourself.
Council Exams are organized by the body responsible for checking interior designers. Hence, top interior design professionals are part of the process. As someone who wants to become a top shot interior designer, this exam is an opportunity to connect with them and grow.
Take Up Projects
Money? This is essentially a part of our lives but it still hampers individuals from going ahead. As an interior designer with a futuristic view, you must take up projects free of charge. Yes! Free of Charge. Why? It’s a great way to build experience and expertise.
If you continue to take up projects, your works keep increasing and they become testaments of your competence. Because people don’t really hire designers they’ve not seen their works before.
Expand your Portfolio
Now, when you must have taken on a lot of projects, its time to target bigger and financially rewarding projects.
You need to organize your works into a document. This document is regarded as a portfolio. Why is it important? A portfolio is necessary because it shows prospective clients your projects through digital representations.
Moreso, you get to take them to events as they’re handy and easily accessible. Most times, the society of Interior Designers will demand these designs for an exhibition.
Increase your Opportunities
Technology keeps improving every day. For this reason, you need to keep increasing your understanding of their techniques.
One great way to increase your opportunities is to regularly take up certification programs. This helps you stay on top of newer trends and design styles too.
Don’t worry, in the course of this article, you’ll get to see available certification programs for interior designers in California.
What are the available Interior Design License programs?
Interior Design licensing programs help verify the competence of interior designers before giving them a license to practice.
Currently, CIDQ is the only nationally recognized licensing program. Although, there is another program for California interior designers called IDEX.
In here, you’ll see the eligibility requirements to fulfil in addition to other necessary information.
- NCIDQ is the body responsible for granting licenses to qualified Interior Designers.
- Hopefully, if you get to pass this examination, you can practice as a full-time interior designer.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to sit for the examination, you must;
- Possess educational transcripts with a minimum of 90 hours or 60 semesters.
- 1, 760 hours of work experience gained prior to graduation affirmed by a Direct supervisor or Sponsor.
- Notably, every candidate must meet the requirements of their jurisdiction too.
Who can act as a Direct Supervisor/Sponsor?
- Any NDIQ Certified Interior Designer
- State/Licensed or Certified Interior Designer
- State/Licensed or Certified Architect
A Direct Supervisor is a professional who oversees the process involved in a candidates’s work with strong knowledge of the duties.
A Sponsor is an individual who reviews the progress of an interior designer, taking into note his work hours.
The IDEX California is an exam which is test California building codes. Therefore, this exam is for all building professionals including interior designers.
The eligibility requirements of this exam are similar to those of NCIDQ. However, the major difference between them remains the flexibility and additional elements put into the IDEX exam.
Interestingly, the IDEX exam is held online and you can get more information about it when you click the button below.
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How much do Interior Designers in California Earn?
If you want to become an interior designer, now is the best time to make up your mind. Why? Because the career is flexible and financially rewarding.
According to indeed.com, interior designers earn $69,502 per year in California. Surely, this is huge compared to other career paths.
Still, thinking? Check some containers below to check out best interior design schools in California to see if you fit.
What are the Interior Design Companies in California?
Individuals own most interior design companies in California. However, only a few, have grown into corporations.
Therefore, according to homebuildersdigest, the ten best interior design companies in California include;
- Steven Volpe Design
- Turker & Marks
- Maddine Stuarts & Associates
- Martyn Lawrence Bullard Design
- Commune
- Waldo Designs
- Michael S Smith Inc.
- Kelly Wearstler
- Atelier AM
- Barbara Barry
15 Best Interior Design Schools in California
Our list of the best interior design schools is based on certain factors. Therefore, these factors include:
- Acceptance Rate
- Quality of Education
1. Academy of Art University
Tuition: $26,399 per year
The Academy of Art is a private university built for the sole purpose of Art. As a result, art is the core focus of the institution.
As a private university, the school has an acceptance rate of 100% and a graduation rate of 7% on the other hand.
With an academic staff strength of 1,154, the Academy of Art University remains committed to giving quality education. However, its students’ very low graduation rate gives a lot of concern.
This university offers associate, bachelor, and master’s degrees in over 25 courses. In addition, they also run online courses in selected courses.
Conclusively, Academy of Art University claims to be the largest school in San Francisco.
2. American River College
Tuition: $326 per unit
American River College is a college located in Sacramento County, California. Formerly, American River College answered American Junior College.
Like three other institutions, The University is directed by a seven-member board elected by voters in the district.
Notably, the college sits on 155 acres of land. And this is surprisingly huge for such a young university.
You can kickstart your admission process by creating an OpenCCC account to fill out the application and you also get to save your application and come back to it when you feel like. As a matter of fact, you will have a chance to review your application before you submit it.
American River College won the Peacemaker Award in addition to Gold Crowns award. In conclusion, there are three different types of online learning: hybrid, online, and web-enhanced.
3. ArtCentre College of Design
Tuition: $22,136 per term
Founded in 1930, ArtCentre College of Design is a private college. This college has seen its fair share of challenges but has risen through them.
As a result, they continue promoting themselves through the inclusion of other programs. They’ve achieved this through proper training and improved structure.
ArtCentre College of Design ranks among the top 20 graduate schools in the U.S. – a fantastic record indeed. Additionally, the college film programs are ranked among the top 25 global film schools.
You can start your application process by obtaining your transcripts and application form. Also, you need to pass the GRE test and fulfill the portfolio requirements.
The college has two campuses; Soth Campus and Hillside Campus.
4. Butte College
Tuition: $265 per unit
Butte College is a community college. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges accredited this university.
The campus of the college is located on a wildfire refuge. Therefore, in the United States, Butte is the largest solarized campus.
The admission process of the institution consists of five steps.
Firstly, you apply for admission into the institution. You’ll do this by clicking the CCC apply electronic application.
Secondly, you’ll need to complete the Federal Student Aid at the official website. Thirdly, you’ll need to complete a career and academic profile. The profile will help you choose a program of study.
Fourthly, you’ll schedule an orientation session as a new student. In this session, you meet your lecturers and take a campus tour.
Finally, you register for classes and begin studying.
Butte College is also recognized for its exceptional sports teams with record competition victories.
5. Design Institute of San Diego
Tuition: $15,300 per semester
Design Institute of San Diego is an interior design school known for its professional excellence. To a large extent, the institute has dominated through its well-designed curriculum.
DISD pride in helping its students picture their future at work. Essentially, they teach their students to be business professionals.
The application procedure for DISD is online. In order to apply, prospective candidates are required to present two essays in addition to their transcript. Furthermore, you will pay a fee of $25.00 to complete the application process.
Sadly, DISD is unranked among art institutes in the world but remains among the best interior design schools in California.
6. Las Positas College
Tuition: $328 per unit
Las Positas College is a public community college located in California. This institution accepts 10,000 students into its program, thus giving them a high acceptance rate.
LPC runs 22 associate degrees, 16 transfer associate degrees and 42 certificate programs compared to other colleges.
You must present the required documents to get admission to study in LPC. Very importantly, you must pay the tuition fee required.
7. Moorpark College
Tuition: $23,556.00 per year
Moorpark College is a public community college located in Moorpark, California. Ventura County Community College District established the college in 1967.
Applicants can get admitted into Moorpark College when they fulfill the school’s requirements. Hence, the requirements demand the applicant to be above 18 years in addition to possessing a high school degree.
The application process is online. Generally, students can apply from anywhere in the world.
Moorpark offers scholarship to qualified candidates in its different programs. Indeed, the college wants to give everyone a chance to study with one of the best interior design schools in California.
8. Orange Coast College
Tuition: $322 per unit
Orange Coast College is a community college located in California. This institution thereby offers associate of art and science degrees to deserving candidates. This is in addition to certificates of achievements, and lower-division classes.
OCC’s mission is to empower students with marketable skills. Moreso, they plan to provide affordable education to enable many kids to go to school.
OCC is regarded as the top transfer institution compared to other schools. Hence, they rank 65th out of over 5,000 colleges in awarding degrees.
To get admitted into OCC, you must fulfill specific requirements. The student must possess a high school diploma and a California High School Certificate. Lastly, she must have an early start petition form with the completion of the 10th-grade document.
9. Palomar College
Tuition: $301 per unit
This college is a public institute with its main campus scattered throughout northern San Diego.
In Palomar College, students can choose from over 250 associate degrees and certificate programs. Moreso, students can place transfer requests to move to other institutions.
If you apply to study at Palomar College, you’ll need to apply online. Subsequently, you’ll be required to complete the orientation process and review your placement. Then, you can develop an educational aid after registering for classes with evidence of enrollment fees.
Notably, Palomar College has introduced a student body to help run the school.
10. Point Loma Nazarene University
Tuition: $36,350 per year
Point Loma Nazarene University is a Christian community college. Therefore, the vision of the university is to train leaders to perform ministerial duties.
PLNU offers scholarships in more than 60 areas both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Hence, this makes them one of the most sought after colleges in the U.S.
PLNU ranks 9th in the U.s News & World Report and is the 263rd best school university in the United States.
This Christian University doesn’t only use a good GPA score as the criterion for gaining admission to study in their school. Instead, they believe possessing a holistic mind and sound principles is more important.
11. Saddleback College
Tuition: $265 per unit
Saddleback college is a community college with over 190 programs. Founded in 1968, they are the largest college in South Orange county.
In Saddleback college, students are open to study abroad and honors programs. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges accredited Saddleback college.
As a result, this college is highly respected in sports as a result of being the home of over 19 athletic teams.
Similar to other institutes, SC makes use of an online application process.
Due to their continued devotion to excellence, Saddleback college remains one of the best interior design schools in California.
12. San Jose University
Tuition: $5,742 per unit
San Jose University is located in downtown San Jose, California. This institution boasts of over 33,282 students in 2019. Furthermore, they are the highest suppliers of alumni to technology firms.
The excellence expressed in the buildings all over campus and the ever-improving academic structure show that San Jose is continuously improving their knowledge base.
The residence halls in San Jose accommodate over 4,000 students. And they are sectioned properly in an environment where students can be comfortable.
SJSU offers over 145 bachelors, masters and PhD programs. Hence, they offer more programs than most universities in the United States.
You can apply for admission into the Univerity through its online application portal. However, you’ll be required to choose a major and get a required GPA of 3.5 as a freshman.
In summary, SJSU is the university with the highest mix of ethnic races.
13. Santa Barbara College
Tuition: $64,236 per year
University of California, Santa Barbara, is one of the campuses of UC. Hence, this arm of the university offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 55 graduate degrees.
UCSB is primarily a doctoral University. Therefore, it focuses heavily on arts and science. Furthermore, 18, 620 students make UCSB the sixth-largest university by enrolment.
U.S News & World Report rated UCSB as the most selective university, and this explains the 93,423 applicants they received from applicants.
UCSB spent over $200 million on research and development, making them a recognized research-focused institution.
You can get admission to study at UCSB with a CGPA of 3.4 in addition to exceptional ACT and SAT scores.
Indeed, this university is promoting excellence among its students in many ways.
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14. Santa Monica College
Tuition: $300 per unit
SMC is a community college located in Santa Monica. Initially, they started as a high school, but they’ve grown into a college over time.
This college has provided jobs and educational opportunities more than any college under UC. Therefore, they’re the leaders among their peers.
SMC has six satellite campuses scattered across its areas. Thus, these campuses house different educational centers and residence halls.
Students are given the best fine and applied arts training, with graduate specialized training also available.
You can start the admission process by filling out the online application form. Then, you register for the orientation programs before paying the enrolment fee.
SMC offers excellent training mechanisms making it one of the best interior design schools in California.
15. West Valley College
Tuition: $265 per unit
West Valley College started as a Junior College. However, the district voted to upgrade them to a good college. WVC’s mission supports students to reach transfer and career goals in an environment of academic excellence.
Their degree programs include; architecture, engineering, interior design, and fine arts, amongst others.
WVC’s practice many sports activities as their sports teams have been recognized for excelling in competitions.
To study at WVC, you need to be at least 18 years old in addition to possessing a good high school grade.
Conclusion
All big design firms started as individuals. However, these individuals were part of the select few who refused to give up on their dreams.
Don’t ever get trapped thinking that there is a lot of competition. Because there’s always an opportunity to succeed.
In summary, I’ll advise reading again and this time more carefully. Then, you’ll truly understand how this career path can change your life.
References
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