Interior Designers Institute

Key Highlights

• Private for-profit, degree-granting design college founded in 1984
• Single Newport Beach campus with no reported branches or satellites
• ACCSC-accredited associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs
• CIDA-accredited Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design
• Hybrid program approval applies to California residents

Student Life & Environment

Student life at IDI is organized around studio work and the interior-design profession rather than a large residential-campus environment. The Newport Beach campus provides studios, student exhibition space, computer facilities, a design-focused library, and a room of material and finish samples. These resources support project development, presentations, research, and hands-on specification work. Professional participation is a prominent part of the extracurricular offering. IDI lists student chapters of the American Society of Interior Designers and the International Interior Design Association. Through those organizations, students may encounter professional events, networking, competitions, mentoring, and exposure to commercial-design practice. The catalog also describes guest speakers, showroom or design-center field trips, annual commencement exercises, and internship opportunities for bachelor’s and master’s students. Academic and practical support includes tutoring, technology assistance, disability services, academic advising, financial-aid guidance, and career planning. Students and graduates in degree programs can access job listings and placement guidance; the avocational certificate alone does not provide access to those placement services. IDI does not provide dormitories or other on-campus housing and does not secure accommodation for students. The catalog says the school can provide nearby housing information, but students remain responsible for arranging and financing their own accommodation. Applicants should therefore expect a commuter-style experience and budget for transportation as well as Orange County housing costs.

Location & Surroundings

IDI’s sole reported campus is at 1061 Camelback Street in Newport Beach, in coastal Orange County, California. The setting places students within reach of Southern California design firms, showrooms, manufacturers, and professional organizations. IDI specifically identifies the Laguna Design Center and Stonemill Design Center among nearby industry resources, while cataloged field trips and guest-speaker activities use the broader regional design community as an extension of classroom work. This is not a self-contained residential campus. The college operates from a specialized educational site with studios, computer and library facilities, exhibition space, and materials resources. Because IDI has no dormitories and does not arrange accommodation, students must compare private rental options and plan a commute. International and out-of-area applicants should investigate housing availability, deposits, transportation, and the full cost of living before enrolling. The location may be advantageous for students seeking contact with the Orange County design market, but the practical experience will differ from a traditional university town. Campus tours are part of IDI’s admissions process, giving applicants an opportunity to assess the facilities and commute before signing an enrollment agreement.

Costs & Career Outcomes

IDI’s program costs vary by degree stage, so applicants should not treat one annual tuition number as the price of the entire educational sequence. The live program page lists separate totals for the Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, and Master of Interior Architecture. The last full catalog available during this review was valid for 2025–26 and also separated tuition from registration charges, textbooks, supplies, laboratory fees, and externally completed general-education coursework. Students should request a 2026–27 enrollment agreement and itemized cost sheet before committing. For Fall 2026, the live application page lists a nonrefundable $100 registration fee for each degree program and a $250 international-student registration fee. It also says federal Title IV aid is available to eligible degree-seeking students. Aid may include grants and loans, and borrowing creates a repayment obligation. The non-degree avocational certificate is not eligible for federal financial aid. The school provides a net-price calculator, but individual awards and living expenses will vary. There is no campus housing, so rent, deposits, food, and transportation must be included separately in a student’s budget. Bachelor’s students must also account for the cost of required general-education credits completed through another accredited institution. Career support is available to degree students and graduates. IDI distributes relevant job listings and offers résumé and placement guidance, while bachelor’s and master’s students may pursue internships. Curricular preparation points toward interior design, drafting, rendering, materials or lighting specification, set and exhibit design, and residential, hospitality, retail, workplace, or health-care design. Placement assistance does not guarantee employment, salary, licensure, or a particular career outcome.