Florida State University’s Interior Architecture and Design’s bachelor’s degree has ranked third among the top 15 best bachelor’s in interior design degree programs for 2022 by CollegeRank. The ranking was recently published on the organization’s website.

This ranking was created using the National Center for Education Statistics’ College Navigator database, sites including Payscale.com, and each school’s official website. The top 15 schools were selected and ranked based on potential salary after graduation, individual program accreditation, and overall affordability.

“For over 40 years, our department has established a long and proud tradition of design excellence,” says Dr. Jill Pable, Chair, Department of Interior Architecture and Design at FSU. “Our community of learning emphasizes the humanity of engagement, and our faculty and students work closely together to ‘shape spaces and shape lives’ – both the lives of students and those of the future clients they will serve. We are proud to be recognized for our bachelor’s in interior design program and included in this top ranking.”

Florida State’s Department of Interior Architecture and Design offers the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts degrees in interior design. Both degree programs are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the National Association of the Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The program consists of 77 semester credits of required courses in addition to the general education requirements.

Along with a required internship, the program also offers the opportunity to study abroad in London, England. Learn more at

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FSU’s Department of Interior Architecture and Design would like to congratulate their adjunct instructors and students who were winners at the ASID Student Design Excellence competition from the Florida North Chapter. Student ASID members from Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Orlando submitted renderings and concept statements judged in a host of different categories. The designs are based on a 100-point scale and include criteria such as creative and functional use of space, relationships of materials, textures, and patterns, and attention to details and design elements among others. This annual competition seeks to highlight students and professionals for their designs and concept statements in different categories. We are proud to announce the following winners from this year are:

Anna Osborne, adjunct instructor, Government second place, Wild Card second place, Custom Design Element second place

Karin Okamura, Residential first place

Sarah Kobes, Retail first place

Christine Wahl, Hospitality first place

Christine Wahl, Health Care first place

Sarah Kobes, Corporate second place

Arianna Dantes, Healthcare second place

Karin Okamura, Retail second place

Arianna Dantes also secured a new student scholarship of $500 and is the new student representative to the ASID Florida North board.

“Review by interior design peers outside the Department is an important assessment of students’ learning because it judges students’ creativity and ingenuity against the expectations of design practice,” said Dr. Jill Pable, professor and chair of the IAD department. “It is exciting to see so many of our students impress the American Society of Interior Designers’ North Florida chapter practitioner judges, gathering four first place and three second place awards. These accolades will distinguish the students in their future job search and validates their guiding faculties’ teaching effectiveness.  It is truly a wonderful situation for all!”

Students Ariana Dantes and Sarah Kobes shared their experiences about the design competition. Dantes’ project, Office for the ASK Cancer Foundation was awarded second place in the Healthcare category and Kobes’ project, Stroh’s Brewing Company first place for the Retail category.

IAD: What was the inspiration for the designs that you submitted to the competition?

Kobes: “Both projects represent the ideals of Stroh’s Brewing Company: heritage, family, and tradition. The company is very proud of its Detroit heritage, thus, multiple graphics about Detroit, MI are included. The office headquarters design is more traditional while the retail design contains more modern elements to appeal to a wider audience range.”

Dantes: “I worked on these projects during my summer internship. It was a mentorship program where students worked with practitioners on hypothetical projects based on actual work the firm had completed. The client for this project was the ASK Cancer Foundation, and I took inspiration from the North Star, which is a significant symbol the organization uses for goal-setting, as it is a fixed being in the sky. For this organization and their young patients, the North Star represents hope, positivity, and forging a new path forward. The second project that I entered for this competition was another internship project, and it was a Presidential Suite design for a Marriott hotel in Wynwood, Miami. I used the concept of “hidden gems” to capture the eclectic and expressive nature of the Wynwood neighborhood.”

IAD: Out of all the categories, what made you choose that specific project for that category?

Kobes:  “I chose to submit the projects I did because they were the projects that I was proudest of. I like the realistic rendering style as well as the knowledge about how much effort went into each project. There are reasons behind every single detail, and I felt like these projects showcased that.”

Dantes:  “I chose to enter both projects because I learned a lot as an emerging designer while creating each project. During these projects, I challenged myself with color, pattern, and unique architectural elements and lighting solutions to move towards more forward-thinking design while still considering user needs and wellness.”

FSU IAD students received the majority of the ASID Florida North design awards this year through our instructors’ and students’ significant skills and efforts. Congratulations to all recipients!