10 Best Interior Design Colleges in India to Consider in 2025

Interior Design has seen a huge boom in recent years, thanks to the growing real estate market in India and the world over. Owing to this huge surge in the demand for good Interior Designers, most design colleges have included this specialization as part of its curriculum. There has been a larger influx of people from smaller towns into big cities due to the rise in jobs and the economic sector in India.

This shift has caused a strain in the real estate market, with an everlasting demand for living and work space. As a solution to this, Space and Interior Designers were suddenly the need of the hour. As this remains a continuing change in major cities, Interior Designers are constantly in demand.

Several renowned colleges in India offer an Interior Design course. As the number of design schools with a BDes in Interior Design increases, let’s take a look at the top Interior Design colleges in India.

What is the importance of an Interior Design course in India?

Interior Design is the art and science of decorating a room’s interiors in alignment with the suitability of the residents. An Interior Designer works on a client’s requirements, taking them through a design development process. Their work includes everything from adjusting furniture, lighting, fixtures, and anything that occupies space inside the living area. It could be the interiors of anything from an office to a cabin to a living room to a bedroom. Interior Design provides aesthetics and efficiency to the room space and improves the living standards.

Interior Design has become an increasingly vital component of modern-day living. What used to be just a decorative art form for designers has become a more important feature of home decor. Interior Design has a far greater significance than just decorating and beautifying any living space or area. It allows for an improved way of living inside a room’s interiors. The design course blends aesthetics with efficiency and is dedicated to creating a healthy, living environment.

As the population rises, urban settlements are crawling with people who move from various parts of the country to these cities. They come either for work reasons or lifestyle changes. Either way, this influx of people calls for a design solution. This is where the real estate in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, etc., makes way for Interior and Space Design. The need to design living places to a habitable degree becomes of utmost importance.

Why does choosing the right Interior Design college matter?

Choosing the right design college matters for several reasons. Aspects like career prospects, skill development, industry standards, creative zeal, and networking, among others, are defined by the college you study at. For Interior Design, there should be an increased stress on the creative side of things, and whether or not the college provides an environment that fosters imaginative, creative, and collaborative thinking.

Here are a few more reasons why choosing the right design college matters:

• Accreditation – Accreditation ensures that the program meets industry standards, and it provides more strength to the credibility of one’s qualification. Accredited programs often lead to better jobs.
• Networking and Industry Connections – Studying Interior Design at any college will expose you to a host of other like-minded students with similar interests and similar goals in life. This helps them build a network that will help them in their career.
• Career Goals – Several colleges offer specialized courses that align with career goals. This way, those pursuing an Interior Design course in any college will have a clearer idea about the career path they want to trod ahead.
• Portfolio – Studying in the right college helps you built a strong portfolio that is extremely important while cracking a job.
• Infrastructure and Facilities – Good design colleges have a well-set infrastructure and facilities for students to avail of any service. They will not be lacking in any way or anything that will be an important tool to build a strong career.
• Placement Assistance – Good design colleges help every student with placement assistance. They push their students towards cracking any job and ensure they secure a job before leaving the campus.

Top 10 BDes Interior Design Colleges in India

Here are the top 10 BDes Interior Design colleges in India:

• Strate School of Design, Bengaluru – Interior and Space Design is one of the main courses offered at Strate School of Design, Bengaluru.

The fee at Strate is INR 26 LPA for a BDes program of 4 years. The average package at Strate School of Design is INR 10 LPA. Strate School of Design has its own entrance exam, post which it conducts an interview or a portfolio review before admitting its students.

• National Institute of Design (NID Ahmedabad) – NID Ahmedabad offers a highly respected BDes degree in Interior Design.

The total fee at NID Amedabad is INR 17.99 lakhs. The average package is INR 14 LPA, and the entrance exam for NID Amedabad is NID DAT (NID Design Aptitude Test).

• Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, Bengaluru – Interior Design and Build is one of the prime courses provided at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology.

The fee for a 4-year BDes course at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology is INR 17.22 lakhs. The average package that the college receives is between INR 3-5 LPA.

They have their entrance exam called the SMEAT – Srishti Manipal Entrance and Aptitude Test (SMEAT).

• CEPT University, Ahmedabad – CEPT University, Ahmedabad, offers a specialized BDes course in Interior Spaces and Environmental Design.

The total fee to pursue a BDes in Interior Design at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, is INR 22.75 Lakhs. The average package for a BDes in Interior Design at CEPT University, Ahmedabad, is INR 5.5 LPA to INR 7.5 LPA.

For admission into the BDes in Interior Design at CEPT University, one needs to clear the UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design).

• Pearl Academy, Mumbai – Pearl Academy in Mumbai is known for its many design courses, including Interior Design.

The fee for a BDes in Interior Design is INR 27.88 lakhs for 4 years. The placement package a student gets at Pearl Academy is somewhere between INR 17 LPA to 20.2 LPA.

Pearl Academy has its entrance test that consists of two stages – GPT (General Proficiency Test) and DAT (Design Aptitude Test).

• Amity University – Amity University in Noida has a specialized standout program in Interior Design.

For a BA in Interior Design, the fee at Amity University in Noida is INR 4.77 lakhs for 3 years. It provides a BA in Interior Design and Development.

The average placement package for a BA graduate in Interior Design from Amity University is INR 4-5 LPA. However, in 2023, the highest placement package received by a student was INR 61.75 LPA. There isn’t a widely known entrance test for Amity University’s Interior Design course. Candidates must pass Class 12 from a recognized board and with 50% or more marks across academics.

• Lovely Professional University (LPU) – LPU offers a BDes course in Interior Design and Animation in its multi-program University.

For a BDes in Interior Design at LPU, the fee is INR 9.6 lakhs for 4 years. The average salary in LPU for Interior Design is INR 5.6 LPA, whereas the highest package is INR 26 LPA. LPU has an entrance test called LPUNEST (Lovely Professional University National Entrance and Scholarship Test).

• Chandigarh University (CU) – Chandigarh University provides a superb course of BDes in Interior Design. The program integrates theory and practical application, and just like the Strate School of Design, it prepares students for industry demands.

The total fee for a BDes in Interior Design at Chandigarh University is INR 11.44 lakhs. The average package for a BDes in Interior Design at Chandigarh University is INR 9.54 LPA. However, the highest package was INR 54.75 LPA.

Chandigarh University conducts a Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test (CUCET) for students to clear and get admission.

• UPES School of Design, Dehradun – A BDes in Interior Design is one of the most sought-after courses at UPES School of Design in Dehradun. The fee to pursue a BDes at UPES School of Design is INR 11.62 lakhs for 4 years.

The average placement package at UPES School of Design is INR 6.48 LPA. It goes up to INR 12 LPA. UCEED, CUET, and UPES DAT are some of the entrance exams you’ll need to appear for and clear to get admission to UPES School of Design.

• MIT Institute of Design, Maharashtra – MIT Institute of Design in Maharashtra has one of the finest BDes programs in Interior Design. The fee to study BDes at the MIT Institute of Design is INR 19 lakhs for 4 years.

The placement package at the MIT Institute of Design ranges from INR 8 LPA to INR 27 LPA. For admission to the MIT Institute of Design (MITID), you need to take the MITID Design Aptitude Test (DAT).

Bachelor of Interior Design Admission Process & Entrance Exams in India

To pursue Interior Design from any design college, a student needs to get admission and pursue a BDes degree. They need to be eligible by scoring 50% or more marks across academics in Class 12. Then, they need to choose a design school of their choice, such as Strate School of Design, and apply accordingly. For a design college like Strate, they will have to clear an entrance test. If they clear the test, they will have to appear for an interview or portfolio review. Upon clearing all rounds, they can get admission to the college.

Just like Strate, several other design schools have their entrance tests. However, some of the other common entrance exams for a BDes Interior Design program are CEED (Common Entrance Examination for Design), NID DAT (National Institute of Design – Design Aptitude Test). Other institute-specific exams like NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) and SEED (Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design) are also available.

Placement Options & Salary Trends in 2025

As explained above, Interior Design in India is growing by the day. In cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, etc., where diverse work opportunities exist, people are moving there at an exponential rate. They are looking for an overall better life, including a better household and living standards.

This increasing demand to live a more aesthetically pleasing and efficient lifestyle has caused a boom in the real estate market. It has also led to an increase in the demand for Interior Designers. The placement options from most colleges are promising, and the packages offered by companies are usually lucrative. The salary trend in Interior Design is on an upward curve.

The salaries for entry-level Interior Designers are usually somewhere between INR 4.2 LPA to 6.6 LPA. This range significantly increases when one reaches a senior level, reaching up to INR 22 LPA to INR 24 LPA. Mid-level Interior Designers usually earn between INR 10 LPA and INR 15 LPA.

How to choose the best Interior Design College in India?

To choose the best Interior Design college in India, a high-school pass-out student must start scouring the Internet to find the design colleges with the best Interior Design courses. Read reviews on websites like Glassdoor and Ambition Box, talk to Interior design graduates who’ve graduated from different colleges, listen to YouTube reviews of colleges, and read the various college websites.

They must also check out the placement rates of Interior design in each college, alongside the infrastructure, faculty, subjects taught, ambience, college atmosphere, reputation, and other aspects like workshops, internships, etc. There needs to be thorough research on the subject before choosing the right college.

Therefore, to conclude it all, colleges are increasingly ramping up their design programs, making Interior Design a much more important course than it was before. Since trends suggest that the demand for real estate will only increase, and so will the demand for Interior Designers, many more design aspirants are pursuing Interior Design as a career choice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is Interior design?

Ans: Interior Design is the art and science of decorating a room’s interiors in alignment with the suitability of the residents. An Interior Designer works on a client’s requirements, taking them through a design development process. Their work includes everything from adjusting furniture, lighting, fixtures, and anything that occupies space inside the living area.

Q: What are the private top interior design colleges in India?

Ans: Strate School of Design, Amity University, Pearl Academy, Chandigarh University, LPU, etc., are some of the best colleges with a top-quality BDes program in Interior Design.

Q: What is the Eligibility for the interior design course?

Ans: Some common entrance exams for a BDes Interior Design program are CEED (Common Entrance Examination for Design), NID DAT (National Institute of Design – Design Aptitude Test). Other institute-specific exams like NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) and SEED (Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design) are also available.

Q: What is the Average Salary after an Interior Design course?

Ans: For beginners in the job, the average salary for an Interior Designer is somewhere between INR 4.2 LPA and INR 6.6 LPA.

Q: Why is Strate Design School a good option?

Ans: Strate School of Design provides a UGC-approved B.Des degree in association with Alliance University (NAAC A+). It is ranked as one of the top 50 design schools in Europe and one of the top 60 design schools in the world.

It provides global exposure and an international immersion program. The curriculum includes a mix of theory and practical learning. Experts from the industry impart to students at Strate with industry-oriented knowledge about Interior Design. This way, students are also clear about the expectations of them once they join a company. They also get to attend masterclasses and workshops by Industry experts.

Q: What are the top Design courses offered by Strate Design School?

Ans: Space and Interior Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, Transportation Design, Brand Identity and Visual Communication Design, Game Design, and Interior and Space Design are the top design courses offered at Strate School of Design. The Transportation Design course is probably the most sought-after one.

Q: What are the trending design courses in India 2025?

Ans: Graphic Design, UI/UX Design, Product Design, Fashion Design, Animation Design, etc., are some of the trending design courses in India in 2025.

Q: Is a BDes in Interior Design course worth it in 2025?

Ans: Yes, a BDes in Interior Design course is worth it in 2025, given its rising importance and demand amongst city-dwellers. As India heads into a more economically driven and financially motivated society, a BDes in Interior Design becomes a very important course in 2025.