A student competition is one of the few ways to put a recognised name on your résumé before you have a single built project. A placement in the IIDA Student Design Competition or an ASID portfolio scholarship tells employers that people outside your school judged your work and found it strong. Several of these programs also pay real money — scholarships from $750 to $6,000 and a €50,000 prize fund.
The catch is that student programs are scattered. Some give you a fixed brief and three weeks; others ask for your whole portfolio. Some are free, some charge per team member, and a few are only open to students in the US and Canada.
This guide lists every major interior design competition students can enter (professionals: see interior design competitions open now) in the 2026–27 academic year, sorted by deadline. All dates, fees and prizes were checked on the organizers' official websites on October 22, 2026. Where a 2027 date has not been published yet, we say so and show the 2026 date as a guide — always confirm on the organizer's page before you submit.
Student Competitions at a Glance (Sorted by Deadline)
- Bienenstock Interior Design Competition — deadline December 8, 2026; no entry fee listed; $5,000 first prize; US juniors, seniors and graduate students
- IDEC Student Design Competition — November 1, 2026 – February 7, 2027; no entry fee listed; entered by an IDEC-member faculty sponsor
- iF Design Student Award — deadline February 3, 2027; free; €50,000 prize fund shared among winners
- IIDA Student Design Competition — January 4 – February 8, 2027; $35–90; $2,500 / $1,500 / $750
- ASID Student Portfolio Competition — 2027 dates not yet published (2026 deadline: February 11, extended); free for ASID members, $49 otherwise; three $6,000 scholarships
- INT Interior Design Awards — open now; early bird February 15, final May 31, 2027; €45 + VAT, paid only if longlisted
- HD Awards, Student Project — 2027 dates not yet published (2026 deadline: February 17); $40
- A' Design Award, Young Design Award — recommended deadline end of February 2027; free preliminary score, nomination fee if you go ahead
- NKBA Student Design Competition — deadline June 4, 2027; free; $5,000 / $2,500 / $1,000 plus a KBIS trip
- Interior Design Best of Year, student entries — 2027 dates not yet published (2026 deadline: October 9); free; products, not room projects
- Interior Design Awards (IDA by Maestro) — every month; free; community voting
Fixed Brief or Your Own Project?
The first thing to check is what you are actually asked to design:
- Fixed brief — everyone designs the same space from the same program: IIDA, NKBA, IDEC and Bienenstock. Juries compare solutions directly, so clear planning and a strong concept matter more than polished photography. These are ideal if you don't yet have a finished project you're proud of.
- Your own work — you submit projects you already designed: ASID (your portfolio), INT, A' Design, iF and IDA. These reward a portfolio you've been building all year.
- Products — Interior Design magazine's Best of Year student category is for products and collections, not room designs.
Most students can enter one fixed-brief competition in winter and use their best studio projects for the portfolio-based programs in spring.
The Major Student Competitions in Detail
IIDA Student Design Competition 2027
The best-known student competition in commercial interior design, run by the International Interior Design Association.
- Dates: opens January 4, 2027; closes February 8, 2027 at 11:59 PM CST; winners announced in spring 2027
- Who can enter: students currently enrolled in an interior design program anywhere in the world, solo or in teams of up to five
- Fee: solo $35 for IIDA student members, $60 for non-members; teams $50 with at least one IIDA student member, $90 without
- Prizes: $2,500, $1,500 and $750, sponsored by OFS
- 2027 brief: a Miami sports medicine and orthopedics clinic on the first floor of a medical office building, with exam, procedure and imaging rooms and physical therapy. At least half of the furniture must come from the sponsor brands.
- What to submit: a dimensioned floor plan, furniture and materials plan, reflected ceiling plan, 2–4 renderings and two additional drawings
- Judging: five judges score innovation, coherence and functionality, human and environmental impact, meeting the program, and presentation — 20% each. AI may help with ideas and text, but not with images or renderings.
ASID Student Portfolio Competition
The American Society of Interior Designers rewards the strongest overall portfolio rather than a single project.
- Who can enter: interior design students at accredited schools in the US and Canada
- Fee: free for ASID student members; $49 for non-members, which includes a year of student membership
- Prizes: three $6,000 scholarships plus registration and travel to ASID's annual conference
- Format: one PDF of up to 23 pages — cover, 500-word statement, résumé and up to four projects — judged on concept, content and context, with virtual interviews for finalists
- Dates: 2027 dates are not published yet. The last cycles closed in early-to-mid February (2026: February 4, extended to February 11), so plan to have your portfolio ready by late January.
NKBA Student Design Competition 2026–27
The National Kitchen & Bath Association's competition is the best free option for students who love kitchens and bathrooms.
- Deadline: June 4, 2027, 5 PM ET
- Who can enter: NKBA student members (membership is free) enrolled in the US or Canada; individual entries only, and no paid professional design experience beyond internships
- Fee: free
- Prizes: $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 scholarships plus a trip to KBIS 2028
- Brief: a fixed client brief with plans provided; separate kitchen and bath entries. AI-generated plans and concepts are not allowed.
iF Design Student Award 2027
One of the largest international student awards, open to all design disciplines including interiors.
- Deadline: February 3, 2027; results in spring and a ceremony in New York in June 2027
- Fee: free
- Prizes: a €50,000 prize fund shared among the winners — in 2026, seven winners were chosen from more than 7,000 entries
- Good to know: entries are expected to address a social or environmental challenge, so it suits concept projects with a clear purpose. Check eligibility for recent graduates and team size on the official page.
Bienenstock Interior Design Competition 2027
A US competition with a fixed brief and one of the earliest deadlines of the season.
- Deadline: December 8, 2026; winners announced by March 2, 2027
- Who can enter: juniors, seniors and graduate students at US schools, up to five entries per school
- Prizes: $5,000 first place, $1,500 second, and $1,000 to the winner's school
- Brief: a "skybox" project with plans and program supplied; seven 11×17 boards
IDEC Student Design Competition 2026–27
Run by the Interior Design Educators Council and entered through your instructor.
- Window: November 1, 2026 – February 7, 2027; faculty choose any three consecutive weeks for the work
- Who can enter: undergraduate and graduate students, in teams of up to four, submitted by an IDEC-member faculty sponsor
- Recognition: winners are presented at the IDEC conference in March 2027 (no cash prize listed)
- Brief: a small museum space of up to 3,000 square feet, judged on creativity, environment, user research and poster graphics
INT Interior Design Awards 2027
An international program that accepts student entries at a reduced fee.
- Deadlines: early bird February 15, regular April 20, final May 31, 2027
- Fee: from €45 + VAT for students — and you pay only if your project is longlisted
- Good to know: INT has not published separate rules for student projects, so check whether concept work is accepted in your category before you enter.
A' Design Award — Young Design Award
Open to designers under 35, including students and recent graduates.
- Deadline: the recommended final date is the end of February 2027; results follow in spring
- Fee: registration and a preliminary score are free; a nomination fee applies only if you decide to continue
- Good to know: the free preliminary score is a useful way to get outside feedback on a project before paying for any award.
Other Student Options
- HD Awards, Student Project category — hospitality design projects; $40 per entry, finalists are published by Hospitality Design magazine. The 2026 deadline was February 17; 2027 dates are not out yet.
- Interior Design Best of Year, student entries — free, for students in accredited programs worldwide, but for products and collections rather than room projects. The 2026 student deadline was October 9.
- International Design Awards (idesignawards.com) — accepts students in an interior category for €80 per first entry, with a €1,000 People's Choice prize for non-professionals. 2027 dates have not been published. (This program is unrelated to IDA by Maestro.)
How to Make Your Student Entry Stand Out
- Answer the brief before you style it. In fixed-brief competitions, juries check the program first. IIDA explicitly scores "meeting the program" as 20% of the result.
- Show the plan. A clear, dimensioned floor plan wins more points than one more rendering. Most briefs require plans; treat them as the core of the entry.
- Read the AI rules. IIDA allows AI only for ideas and text, not images; NKBA does not allow AI-generated plans or concepts. Breaking these rules can disqualify an otherwise strong entry.
- Tell one story. A short narrative — who uses the space, what problem you solved and why — helps judges remember your entry among hundreds.
- Reuse your work. A strong IIDA or NKBA entry becomes a portfolio project for ASID and a public project page for IDA. See our guide to building an interior design portfolio.
- Start early. The Bienenstock deadline is December 8, and most winter competitions close within a week of each other in early February.
Interior Design Awards (IDA): A Free Monthly Contest for Students
Annual competitions open once a year and announce results months later. Interior Design Awards runs every month, so you can publish a studio project, a renovation you designed for family, or your own room — and get feedback right away.
- Free to enter — no entry or team fees
- Monthly cycles — a project can compete for up to three months
- Community voting — registered members rate projects from 1 to 10
- Cash prizes — $500, $250 and $100 for the top three projects in each month's most active categories; a prize needs at least three votes from different members (see the contest rules)
- A public project page with your photos, credits and the products you used — a link you can add to your résumé and portfolio
It is a low-pressure way to see how people respond to your work between the big annual deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best interior design competitions for students in 2027?
For commercial interiors, the IIDA Student Design Competition (January 4 – February 8, 2027). For a portfolio scholarship, ASID's Student Portfolio Competition. For kitchens and baths, NKBA (free, deadline June 4, 2027). For an international free entry with cash prizes, the iF Design Student Award (deadline February 3, 2027).
Which student design competitions are free?
The iF Design Student Award, the NKBA Student Design Competition, Interior Design Best of Year student entries and Interior Design Awards (IDA) are free. INT charges students only if their project is longlisted, A' Design offers a free preliminary score, and ASID is free for its student members.
When does the IIDA Student Design Competition 2027 open?
It opens on January 4, 2027 and closes on February 8, 2027 at 11:59 PM CST. The 2027 brief is a sports medicine and orthopedics clinic in Miami.
Can students outside the US enter?
Yes — IIDA, iF, INT, A' Design and IDA accept students worldwide. ASID and NKBA are limited to students in the US and Canada, and Bienenstock to US schools.
Can I enter as a team?
IIDA accepts teams of up to five and IDEC teams of up to four. NKBA and Bienenstock accept individual entries only.
Submit Your Project to IDA
Every month, designers and students submit their best room projects on Interior Design Awards. The community votes, and the top three in the most active categories earn recognition and cash rewards.
→ Browse this month's submissions
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Interior Design Awards (IDA) is a platform where designers share room projects, the community votes monthly, and the top designers earn recognition and rewards. Based in the US, open to designers worldwide. Not affiliated with the International Design Awards (idesignawards.com) or any other program mentioned in this article. Dates, fees and prizes were checked on official organizer websites on October 22, 2026.
