What do a bistro chair, a Parisian lamppost, a pressure cooker, a car and a new iPhone have in common? All these useful everyday items have passed into the hands of designers. Design enters our homes and then becomes interior architecture. These occupations require training at the border between art and industrial design. A demanding profession, as pointed out by Alnoor Mitha de Bharat, designer at the Objets de Convoises agency: “Our company works in the world of luxury with brands such as Cartier or Dior, and in particular designs bottles and packaging for perfumes: in this area, extreme rigor, great precision and taste for perfection are essential.
How to choose your school? This first ranking of interior design and architecture schools from Figaro Étudiant ranks 34 public and private schools. To distinguish them, we took into account academic excellence (degree level), recognition by the profession (awards and distinctions) and finally, professional integration by surveying twelve design recruitment agencies.
The 10 best schools for interior design and architecture according to the Figaro 2024 ranking.
- Ensci-Les Ateliers, Paris 11 (public)
- National School of Decorative Arts, Paris 5th (public)
- School of Design Nantes Atlantique, Nantes (Consular)
- Ensaama-Olivier de Serres, Paris 15 (public)
- School Boulle, Paris 12 (public)
- Camondo School, Paris 14th and Toulon (private)
- Strate, School of Design, Sèvres (private)
- Esad Saint-Étienne (public)
- Penninghen, Paris 6th (private)
- Esad Reims (public)
Highly selective public schools
Leading the way are Ensci-Les Ateliers, founded in 1982 under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Culture. This state school issues a bac +5 diploma that gives a master’s grade. The school is a member of the Conference of Grandes Écoles and the main world design organizations. It was mentioned by half of the experts interviewed. Located in former workshops in the 11th arrondissement, it is available on Parcoursup, the entrance is very selective, with only 17% admitted.
Founded in 1766, the National School of Decorative Arts or “Arts Deco”, located on rue d’Ulm in Fifth, arrived soon after. This prestigious school under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture offers 10 specialties including interior architecture and building design. It has famous former students such as Fernand Léger, Hector Guimard and Jean-Paul Goude. Also on Parcoursup, the choice is even tougher with only 3% accepted!
Finally, in third place we find the Nantes School of Design created by the Nantes St-Nazaire Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Its director, Christian Guellerin, is also the president of France Design Education, an association whose aim is to promote design in France. Finally, two public schools are in fourth and fifth place: Ensaama-Olivier de Serres and École Boulle, under the auspices of the Ministry of National Education. Two renowned establishments that are also accessible via Parcoursup.
The private sector educates the majority of students
We see that the most famous public schools are very selective and offer few places. And as the 2021 Senate report points out, what is striking is the weight of private institutions. “They are the ones that receive the largest number of students (from 15 to 20,000) despite the very high tuition fees, which can go up to 12,000 euros per year,” we can read. These private schools have the advantage of ensuring student follow-up and strong links with businesses. The Camondo school is particularly notable for its interior designer-architect diploma. The school that trained (for only six months!) the designer Philippe Starck, but also the famous architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, opened a branch in Toulon in 2019. Strate design school, ranked 7th, is a school of the Galileo group that also owns Penninghen, took 9th place. Finally, Esad de Saint-Étienne, 8th, as well as Esad de Reims, in 10th place, are part of ANDEA (National Association of Higher Art Schools), which brings together 45 public art schools. Although these French schools have a good reputation, they have to fight to keep the trust of experts. Among those we talked to, many emphasize the technical side of the design profession, who must not forget that above all it is designing industrial products that can be appreciated by the general public. “We hear a lot of talk about re-industrialization, so it seems important to me not to lose sight of the purely technical dimension of the design profession,” insists Nicolas Marquis, co-founder of OVA Design. Most regret that French schools do not train students enough in the design of industrial products.
Methodology for ranking schools for design and interior architecture
To develop this ranking, Le Figaro takes into account academic excellence, recognition by designers and professional integration.
Academic excellence
We took into account RNCP titles, Master’s grade, Ministry of Higher Education visa, Parcoursup 2022 access rate, school ranking in QS Art and Design 2023.
Recognition by professionals
We took into account the awards and accolades received by former students of the school in various design competitions and recognition of the school by professional organizations in the sector.
Professional integration
We took into account preferred schools and the number of hires over the last three years by twelve major design agencies.
Find here the detailed methodology for ranking design and interior architecture schools.