Intelligent.com, a site that helps prospective students choose colleges, has ranked two FIT majors at the top of its list of the Best Interior Design Programs of 2023.
FIT’s Interior Design program, which offers an AAS and BFA, was ranked first among the top 40 undergraduate programs, with a score of 99.13 out of 100. The list included many state universities and private colleges with renowned interior design programs.
“Interior Design at FIT is exceptional because we are CIDA accredited, have a robust curriculum, and are committed to diversity,” says Carmita Sanchez-Fong, chair of the department. “We work closely with several nonprofit and mentorship organizations, including IIDA, ACE, Urban Assembly, and New York Cares.”
FIT’s MA in Exhibition and Experience Design was ranked first among the top 27 master’s degree programs in Intelligent.com’s list of Best Master’s in Interior Design Degree Programs of 2023, with a score of 97.66. FIT performed better than Savannah College of Art and Design, New York School of Interior Design, and The New School.
Though Exhibition and Experience Design is not technically interior design, students are given the tools to explore every type of designed experience: museums, brand activations, retail spaces, wayfinding and placemaking, and interactive digital spaces, to name a few.
Christina Lyons, chair of the Exhibition and Experience Design program, says the program’s strengths include a strong connection with industry and intensive training in research and narrative development.
To score each college and generate its rankings, Intelligent used a complex methodology that factored in tuition costs; admission, retention and graduation rates; faculty; reputation; and on-campus resources for students.