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SCAD Interior Design Programs Rank Top in Nation

  • 10/05/17

SAVANNAH, GA – The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is pleased to announce the No. 1 national ranking of its undergraduate and graduate interior design programs for 2018 by DesignIntelligence. This marks the sixth year since 2008 that SCAD's interior design department has achieved the top ranking at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, garnering more No. 1 rankings than any other university.

Interior design was one of SCAD's original eight programs, and nearly 40 years later, is one of the university's highest enrolled, with nearly 600 students studying across SCAD's global campuses.

SCAD interior design alumni work for prestigious design companies around the world, including Callison, Corgan, Gensler and Hirsch Bedner Associates, and many alumni are running successful private firms in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. In a study of Spring 2016 interior design SCAD graduates, 98 percent were employed, pursuing further education or both within 10 months of graduation. 

SCAD students garner industry recognition before they graduate; recent accolades include first-place wins in the prestigious Bienenstock Interior Design Competition and the highest scholarship commendation by the Angelo Donghia Foundation.

"The story of SCAD begins with interior design. I created SCAD to provide generations of artists and designers with learning environments and experiences that are delightful, intentional, and professionally focused," says SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "With another record-setting No. 1 ranking by DesignIntelligence, and our stellar 98 percent alumni employment rate, we continue to affirm one essential industry truth: SCAD is the preeminent source of knowledge in interior design and all the building arts." 

SCAD's reputation for inspiring spaces has been recognized by leading architecture and design organizations, including the International Interior Design Association and Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. SCAD interiors are celebrated by Architectural Digest, Dwell Magazine, and ELLE Décor, among many other major media outlets. Additionally, SCAD hosts the annual SCADstyle festival, a weeklong gathering of international design luminaries and influencers sharing their expertise with the next generation of creators, visionaries, and artists. In 2016, SCAD hosted the inaugural American Society for Interior Designers National Summit. In the same year, SCAD Savannah's Jen Library won a first-place Library Interior Design Award.

SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace's awards in the design field include, National Trust for Historic Preservation Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award, 2016; Roger Milliken Honorary AIA Legacy Award, 2016; Arthur Ross Award for Stewardship, 2016; and the inaugural ELLE Décor Vision Award from ELLE Décor magazine, 2008. Wallace was also named one of DesignIntelligence's 30 Most Admired Educators in 2013.

To see SCAD's award-winning interiors and read more about the preeminent interior design degree program, visit scad.edu/interiordesign and scadbook.com.

DesignIntelligence, the publication and rankings body of the Design Futures Council, has led industry-driven rankings in design disciplines for more than 15 years. The rankings recognize the universities that are best preparing students for success in design-related professions.

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