10 Interior Design Schools in the U.K. You Need to Know About
Whether you’re looking to study interior design at the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree level, the U.K. is one of the best places to do it. The chance to experience historical and cutting-edge design firsthand in London, be surrounded in students and faculty from all corners of the globe, work placements at some of the best design companies in the world—for these and many other reasons, British colleges and universities offer an excellent starting point from which to launch your career in interior design. While many schools offer more general design degrees, here are some of the leaders when it comes to teaching the super-specific skills needed by interior designers—10 of the best interior design schools in the U.K.:
Royal College of Art—Ranked among the very top design schools in the world, its two-year, full-time interior design MA program challenges students to formulate their own rigorous, critically independent ideas.
Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London—Consistently counted among the top places to study interior design in the world, its BA Interior Design course centers around “collaborative, provocative and innovative design for future environments.”
The Interior Design School London—This school’s teaching approach is to mimic a working design studio, giving students a hands-on chance to learn the specialized skills and knowledge they’ll need to work as designers, from freehand to construction drawing, lighting to textiles.
Kingston University London—Ranked number two in the U.K. for design in the Guardian University League Tables 2019, its interior design BA program allows students to work in purpose-built design studios with access to a dedicated design library, while tailoring their projects around their specific interests.
The Glasgow School of Art—The BA Interior Design program welcomes only around 30 students per year to its specialized interiors studio housed within the art school; the program’s focused size allows students to deeply develop their individual interests with help from faculty.
University of Brighton—Top-ranked for design, Brighton offers an interdisciplinary interior design MA, during which students utilize individual design spaces, shared spacious top-lit studios, dedicated computer suites and photographic and workshop facilities.
Ravensbourne—Its BA in Interior Design and Environment Architectures offers a fusion of architecture and interior design, dealing specifically with public and private commercial spaces within an urban environment.
Middlesex University—Middlesex interior design degrees have been highly respected within the industry for more than 30 years; the BA program includes a full-year professional placement.
University of East London—Its MA and BA interior design programs include a focus on experiencing design through exploring the city itself and innovating new design solutions that will benefit East London’s local communities.
University of Westminster—Its interior design MA values research that seeks to challenge traditional methodologies, while offering students the chance to pursue their individual interests within interior design.