How to Become an Interior Designer After 12th: Step by Step Guide
Published by Shikha Kumari on Jun 19, 2025
Interior design is a specialised course under the Bachelor’s of Design. In this blog, we are going to discuss a step-by-step guide for aspiring interior designers, eligibility and fees, entrance exam, and course fees.
Step by Step Guide to an Interior Design Career
Step 1: Select the Appropriate Educational Path. English is preferred, and most programs require a 10+2 pass. Reputable undergraduate programs, such as B.Des, require entrance exams and a minimum of 50% of the possible points.
Step 2: If you are applying to prestigious universities, pass the entrance exams. However, many private colleges (like INIFD, JD Institute, and Pearl) do not require entrance exams for direct, merit-based admission. For students who wish to stay away from competitive testing, these are perfect.
Step 3: Choose the Best College for Your Goals and Budget. A full-time B.Des or B.Sc in interior design is suitable for long-term careers and better placements. Diploma or certificate programs are suitable for skill-switchers or those on a tight budget.
Step 4: Since in modern days, a degree alone won’t get you hired, build Skills alongside the course. The earlier you start real-world application, the faster you’ll secure clients or job offers. Freelance work during college is a smart move.
Step 5: Explore Career Opportunities After Graduation, since Big design firms or architecture studios also offer high growth if you’re technically skilled.
Interior Designing Eligibility and Fees
Interior design fields can range from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,00,000. Candidates, depending upon their budget level and career goals, can choose the course level and their eligibility criteria. Some of the courses available are certificate courses, diploma courses, undergraduate courses, as well as doctorates in design.
Course Level | Eligibility Criteria |
Certificate | 10th or 12th pass |
Diploma | 10th or 12th pass with English |
Undergraduate (UG) | 12th pass (any stream), min 50%, English compulsory |
Postgraduate (PG) | Bachelor’s in a relevant field |
Doctorate | Master’s in a relevant field |
Entrance exam for Interior Designing after 12th
In the most popular courses, the institution’s requirements and the entrance exams conducted by design institutions are designed to assess the candidate’s ability at the visual and creative levels. Some examples of these exams include NID DAT, UCEED, NATA, etc.
Exam Name | Conducted By | Courses Applicable | Mode |
NID DAT | National Institute of Design | B.Des, M.Des | Offline/Online |
UCEED | IIT Bombay | B.Des | Online |
CEED | IIT Bombay | M.Des | Online |
AIEED | ARCH College of Design | UG & PG Design Programs | Online |
NATA | Council of Architecture | B.Arch, B.Des | Online |
College-level Test | Individual Colleges | Diploma/UG Courses | Varies |
Direct Admission | Many Private Colleges | Diploma/UG Courses | Merit-based |
Interior Designing Course Fees
If you are pursuing online certification courses to check the waters of interior design, you can have free certificate courses through online platforms. Interior design online certification courses are available from free to Rs 500. Likewise, the most popular courses such as Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Design can range from at least Rs 10,000 to Rs 27,00,000 based on your desired college, location, international exposure, placement, etc. Some of the courses are mentioned in the following table:
Course Type | Fee Range (Rs ) |
Certificate Course | 3,000 – 1,00,000 |
Diploma Course | 3,000 – 2,50,000 |
Undergraduate (B.Sc/BA/B.Des) | 10,000 – 27,00,000 |
Postgraduate (M.Des/PGD) | 30,000 – 18,68,000 |
Online Certification | Free – 500 |