Interior design certificate vs degree can be quite a difference especially in-terms of tuition cost and the duration or length of the education. With an interior design certificate, the tuition cost will be much lower comparing to the tuition cost of an interior design degree. The tuition cost for a certificate can range from a few hundred dollars (USD) to a few thousands dollars (USD) and can take you up to a few weeks to a few months to 1 year to complete an interior design certificate program. For an interior design degree however, the tuition fees can range from a a few thousand dollars per year to tens of thousands of dollars (up to $20,000 USD+) due to the length of time of the interior design degree program. A normal interior degree program can be anywhere from 4 years to 5+ years long.
When comparing to the quality of education between an interior design certificate vs degree, this can really depends of the type of interior design training program you are attending, the instructor and the program’s teaching style or teaching philosophy or methods. This topic will be discussed more in details in future articles.
Rather you are considering an interior design certificate or interior design degree, it is the quality of your training is the most important to become an Interior Designer
Therefore, unless you are financially capable and have 4-5+ years free time for a full time interior design education program, an interior design degree program can be time consuming and can get very costly. It is always a good idea to start small with a less costly program and much shorter training time-frame and see if you are interested in interior design first. Education is always an investment.
So, we have only discussed the differences between an interior design certificate vs degree and have not yet discussed an interior design diploma. We will discussed more in the next article on interior design diploma vs certificate and degree.
Interior Design Certificate vs Degree Summary
- interior design degree can take 4-5+ years full time studies to complete
- interior design degree can be very costly ranging from $20,000+ USD
- certificate program is normally a few months to 1 year to complete and less costly
- there is another option and that is an interior design diploma
Tips:
- start by self-learning and/or enroll into a shorter and low cost interior design program first to learn more about interior design and see if you have the interest to become an Interior Designer before spending more time and money in a interior design program
- remember this, having an Interior Designer is not absolutely required. Therefore, as long as you have the right training and the experiences, you can start your interior design firm or practice interior design
- interior design degree program is very costly and takes 4-5+ years to complete. This is a long time and tuition cost is high. Beginner students should fully understand and ensure they have the interest in interior design first.
