How Much Does Interior Design School Cost?
Interior designers are professionals who use their creativity and flair for design in producing living spaces that are not only functional but aesthetically pleasing as well. By manipulating such factors as lighting and colors and using different kinds of decorative materials, interior designers are able to make the interior spaces of any home or building exude the kind of mood that clients want it to produce.
A career as an interior designer entails technical knowledge of such things as reading blueprints, building codes, estimating project costs, using computer-aided design (CAD) software to come up with designs and a keen understanding of how different kinds of elements work together to produce a final design that meets the needs of the client. Thus, this profession requires extensive educational training in the form of a four-year bachelor’s degree in the field of interior design.
Just like any other college degree, the cost of an interior design program is going to be one of your major considerations in your choice of an interior design school. Tuition, miscellaneous fees, books and supplies are just some of the expenses that you need to prepare for if you want to complete this program. You should also factor in the cost of housing and food while you’re working towards your degree.
On the average, out-of-state students seeking to complete a bachelor’s degree in interior design should be ready to shell out $33,000 a year to cover the cost of tuition and fees, books and supplies and room and board. However, the range can vary widely, from a little over $8,000 a year to nearly $60,000 annually for these expenses. One of the most common ways to reduce the cost of your tuition is to attend an interior design program in a public school in the state where you are a resident in.
This is because public educational institutions typically grant tuition discounts to in-state students, a benefit not found in private schools or in public schools where you are considered as an out-of-state student. Attending a program in your state of residence will also be advantageous in terms of reducing your college costs because you don’t have to move. You may even take out a great deal of your housing and food costs if you can arrange with your folks to stay with them for the duration of your stay in college.
Even if you opt to attend a private university or study as an out-of-state student in a public college, there are still ways for you to fund your college degree. Do visit the financial aid office of the school you are attending and inquire about scholarships and grants that you could possibly be eligible for. You may also work part-time so you can fund your college-related expenses. If funds are really tight, you can always turn to student loans. However, make sure that you only borrow what you need because this form of financial aid has to be repaid later on.
Career Spotlight: Interior Designer
Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a space. Interior designers make interior spaces both functional and fashionable. They select decorative items for a space, as well [...]
