Interior Designers are the only designers regulated by the government, as over 20 states require registration or some sort of formal licensure. Across the country, there are now over two hundred school programs that offer at least a certificate in the field of interior design, which is deemed the simplest method to obtain the education and information necessary to pass a state license examination.

There are diploma programs, equal to any technical degree, available to the prospective design student. These programs spend additional time teaching a more thorough course-loud for their students, which may very well increase their earning capabilities. The diploma programs offer designers opportunities to begin specializing toward a specific career category in design - such as residential, commercial or industrial designing.

There are many design Bachelor degrees available from traditional four-year universities and colleges. The designer with this degree is considered to be better equipped in the work place, as a large part of his or her education consists of providing a basic, yet above average, understanding of mathematics, humanities and the sciences. The philosophy of each university dictates whether the degree is a Bachelor of Arts, Science or Fine Arts.

Currently graduate programs in design are offered at major universities in America. Masters of Arts degrees are the most common, but Science and Fine Arts graduate degrees focusing on interior design are also available. There are interior designers with doctorate level educations, and they are sought after as historians, educators, and - in some instances - as the ultimate choice for design critique.

There are many possible degree options for interior designers, and they are as diverse as the designers themselves.