Académie Charpentier

What Académie Charpentier does

Académie Charpentier is a private higher education institution headquartered in Paris, France, founded in 1945 by Irène Charpentier, specializing in interior architecture and design. It delivers a five-year academic pipeline — a one-year specialized preparatory course (Prépa Spécialisée / MANAA), a three-year Bachelor in interior architecture, and a two-year RNCP Level 7 (Bac+5) interior architect diploma — supplemented by a work-study alternance pathway, a Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience (VAE) track for working professionals, short artistic workshops, and an International Foundation Program.

The school operates as a société d'exercice libérale par action simplifiée (SELAS) with ~29 employees, a declared capital social of €47,275, and serves a student body drawn primarily from France with ~10% international enrollment across approximately 12 nationalities. Curricular technology centers on industry-standard digital design tools (Adobe Suite, AutoCAD, Rhino) and a newly commissioned 2025 campus in Paris's 15th arrondissement featuring modular workshops and digital fabrication infrastructure. Pedagogical differentiation rests on a historic partnership with the Académie de la Grande Chaumière providing free fine-arts workshops, a double-degree with Griffith College Dublin, ERASMUS+ mobility across seven partner institutions, and industry project partnerships with SNCF, ICADE, Atelier21, and the Théâtre de l'Odéon.

Revenue is generated principally through tuition fees (e.g., €4,990 first-year tuition for the January 2026 intake), with secondary revenue from VAE candidacy/accompaniment fees (€3,180–€5,580), short workshop fees (€490), and B2B project partnerships that contribute pedagogically rather than materially to revenue. The school markets via a bilingual French/English website, content-driven blog, open days, immersive experience days, VIP campus visits, guest lectures by named industry designers, and a 15,000-alumni referral network. It holds three core credentials — RNCP Level 7 (RNCP 38011, renewed 2023 for 5 years), CFAI label (valid until 2027), and Qualiopi certification (renewed 2026) — that constitute its primary regulatory moat.

Name

Académie Charpentier

Legal name

ACADEMIE CHARPENTIER, société d'exercice libéral par action simplifiée

Website

https://academiecharpentier.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Académie Charpentier is a private Paris-based higher education institution founded in 1945, offering a five-year interior architecture program culminating in an RNCP Level 7 diploma, serving primarily French and international undergraduate students and working professionals seeking VAE certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior Architecture Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAJAG

Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

SECONDARYEDAAALAG

Architecture, Planning & Surveying (AIA, Planning, Land Surveyor CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Interior architecture education
• Design higher education
• Architecture degree programs
• Professional design training
• Sustainable design education

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: The academy generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to enrolled students across its 5-year interior architecture program, 3-year Bachelor, and preparatory programs. Tuition for the January 2026 intake first year was set at €4,990.
2. VAE (Validation of Prior Experience) Fees: The academy offers VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) for professionals seeking certification, generating revenue through candidacy fees (€490), accompaniment fees (€1,500–€3,900), and jury fees (€1,200). Two pricing tiers are offered: a full accompaniment pathway (€5,580 total) and a self-directed pathway (€3,180 total).
3. Artistic Workshops and Short Courses: Short-term courses such as the 5-day 'prépa artistique' intensive workshop (20 hours, €490) generate supplementary revenue and also serve as a funnel into full degree programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Académie Charpentier is a private higher education institution in Paris that delivers a five-year interior architecture program, structured as a one-year specialized preparatory year, a three-year Bachelor in Interior Architecture, and a two-year Master's-level diploma (RNCP Level 7, equivalent Bac+5). Complementary offerings include a work-study (alternance) pathway, prior experience validation (VAE), a double-degree with Griffith College Dublin, and short artistic preparation workshops. All programs are delivered on campus in Paris and emphasize sustainable and responsible design practice.

Product overview

Académie Charpentier is a private higher education institution in Paris specializing in interior architecture and design. The institution offers a comprehensive five-year program structured as: a one-year specialized preparatory course, a three-year Bachelor program (years 1-3), and a two-year Master's level diploma program (years 4-5). Additional offerings include work-study programs (alternance), prior experience validation (V.A.E.), international double-degree partnerships, and supplementary artistic workshops. The programs emphasize sustainable and responsible design practices, with the main diploma being RNCP Level 7 certified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• La Prépa Spécialisée A one-year preparatory program for students aiming to enter architecture or applied arts schools, covering artistic theory and practice. Designed for prospective students post-high school who need a foundation year before competitive entrance exams.
• Bachelor en Architecture Intérieure (Années 1, 2 et 3) A three-year undergraduate program covering the fundamentals of interior architecture and design, culminating in a Bachelor degree. Designed for students in years 1-3 of the program who are acquiring foundational skills in interior architecture, design, and spatial thinking.
• Diplôme d'Architecte d'Intérieur (Années 4 et 5) A two-year Master's level program leading to the RNCP Level 7 certified interior architect diploma, focusing on advanced project development and professional practice. Designed for students in years 4-5 pursuing the full 5-year program culminating in the RNCP Level 7 (Bac+5 equivalent) interior architect diploma.
• Alternance (Work-Study Program) Work-study program available in years 4 and 5, allowing students to combine professional experience with academic studies. Targets students seeking to integrate professional practice with their Master's-level training.
• V.A.E. (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) Recognition of prior experience (VAE) program enabling professionals with at least one year of relevant experience to obtain the RNCP Level 7 interior architect diploma. Offers two pricing tiers: full accompaniment (€5,580 total) or self-directed pathway (€3,180 total).
• Double Diplôme avec Griffith College Dublin International partnership program allowing third-year students to spend one year (two semesters) at Griffith College Dublin before returning to Paris for their final two years. Upon graduation, students receive both the French RNCP Level 7 Interior Architect diploma and the Bachelor (Hons) in Interior Architecture from Griffith College.
• Stage Prépa Artistique A 5-day intensive workshop (20 hours) for artistic initiation or development covering analytical drawing, life model, painting, color theory, and modeling. Acts as a funnel into full degree programs; fee is deductible from tuition upon enrollment.
• Ateliers Artistiques Free artistic workshops in partnership with the historic Académie de la Grande Chaumière, including drawing, painting, and model-making from live models. Available to Académie Charpentier students as a complement to their interior architecture training.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% diploma presentation and success rate (2022 cohort, 14 students)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ICADEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Three-year (and ongoing) partnership with ICADE, a tertiary and health real estate company, in which 4th-year students receive real-world interior architecture briefs. Projects have included designing a hotel lobby (awarded project submitted to Hilton), and a hotel rehabilitation in Paris's 19th arrondissement. Olivier Guillouet, ICADE's Director of Development, briefs students directly, and project juries are composed of ICADE collaborators.
• ERASMUS+ Partner InstitutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014ERASMUS+ charter signatory since 2014. Partner institutions include FH Aachen (Germany), Cornell University (USA), IUAV Venice (Italy), St Cyril and St Methodius University (Bulgaria), IED Design Madrid and Barcelona (Spain), Richmont Group Milan (Italy), and University of Saint-Marin (Italy). Students may attend exchange semesters 4, 5, 6, and 7, with ERASMUS+ mobility grants available.
• Académie de la Grande ChaumièrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1957Since 1957, when the Charpentier family took over direction of the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, the two institutions have maintained a privileged historic and artistic link. Académie Charpentier students have free access to fine arts workshops at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière (drawing, painting, model-making from live models), enriching their interior architecture training with foundational artistic practice. This partnership is described as a unique complementarity in French higher education.
• Griffith College (Dublin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcadémie Charpentier and Griffith College Dublin signed an academic partnership enabling Académie Charpentier students who have completed their 3rd year to spend one year (two semesters) at Griffith College before returning to Paris for their final two years. Upon graduation, students receive both the French RNCP Level 7 Interior Architect diploma and the Bachelor (Hons) in Interior Architecture from Griffith College. This double-degree pathway is unique in interior architecture education and reflects Griffith College's recognition of the academy's teaching excellence.
• SNCFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the French national railway company SNCF for an interdisciplinary student project at the Vaux-sur-Seine train station. Students in their 2nd year developed rehabilitation projects for the station, working on real-world briefs including a luxury fashion boutique cohabiting with temporary housing for people in social reintegration. The project was supervised by 8 disciplinary teachers and coordinated by the pedagogical team, with SNCF represented by Naïma Lalaoui, Deputy Head of the Immovable Valorization Department.
• Atelier21majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Atelier21, a multidisciplinary eco-design studio founded by Cédric Carles, focused on sustainable innovation and renewable energy research. Académie Charpentier students prototype real projects for Atelier21's clients, including the Renewable Energy Museum in Paris, which will welcome diverse international audiences. The collaboration involves low-tech design, ecological impact reduction, and reproducible device design for Arts & Métiers in Conakry.
• Théâtre de l'OdéonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Théâtre de l'Odéon in Paris for a 3rd-year scenography project. Students developed spatial scenography proposals for scenes from Pasolini's 'Pétrole', guided by professor Ana Zatezalo and in dialogue with the theatre's production teams and director Sylvain Creuzevault. The final presentations were evaluated by a jury including Odéon staff and professional architects.
• SNCF (Gare de Vaux-sur-Seine)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents in their 2nd year worked on a rehabilitation project for the real SNCF railway site at Vaux-sur-Seine, with the support of Naïma Lalaoui from SNCF's Immovable Valorization department, who facilitated site visits and provided official architectural plans.
• CEEBIOS (Centre européen d'excellence en biomimétisme de Senlis)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEEBIOS defines biomimetics as an unprecedented opportunity for responsible innovation: drawing inspiration from the living world and leveraging solutions produced by 3.8 billion years of evolution. The academy incorporates CEEBIOS's biomimetics framework into its sustainable design curriculum.
• Groupe HermèsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStéphanie Bacon, in charge of interior fittings and works at Hermès, gave a conference at the academy in March 2022, engaging with students on responsible design and interior craftsmanship at the luxury brand.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Strate School of Design: Paris-based private design school offering programs in industrial design, transportation design, and spatial design. Comparable French private design education institution with similar prestige and recognized degree programs.
• École Boulle: Historic Paris public school of applied arts and design professions, offering interior architecture and spatial design programs. A long-standing competitor in the Paris market for interior architecture education.
• ESAG Penninghen: Paris private applied arts school offering interior architecture and design programs. Part of the same competitive set as Académie Charpentier for French students seeking an alternative to public architecture schools.
• LISAA School of Art and Design: French private school with programs in interior architecture, design, and applied arts with multiple Paris campuses. Offers RNCP-certified interior design programs at competitive price points, directly competing for the same student base.
• Griffith College Dublin: Strategic partner via double-degree program, offering a Bachelor (Hons) in Interior Architecture. Comparable Irish higher education institution providing the international degree pathway for Académie Charpentier students.
• École Camondo: Paris-based private school offering programs in interior architecture and design, with comparable 5-year curriculum and state-recognized credentials. Directly competes with Académie Charpentier for the same student segment in interior architecture education.

Broad incumbents

• ENSA (École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture): Public network of French national architecture schools offering government-funded architecture degrees. While focused on building architecture, they represent the public-sector alternative to private applied arts schools like Académie Charpentier for interior architecture.

Emerging players

• Domus Academy: Milan-based postgraduate design school offering master's programs in interior and living design. Comparable positioning as a private, internationally-recognized design school with strong industry connections.
• IED (Istituto Europeo di Design): European design school with multiple campuses including Madrid and Barcelona, partnered with Académie Charpentier via ERASMUS+. Offers competing interior design programs and is a relevant peer for international student recruitment.

Others

• Académie de la Grande Chaumière: Historic Paris art school since 1904, offering fine arts workshops (drawing, painting, sculpture). Sister institution under Charpentier family direction since 1957, providing foundational artistic training that complements Académie Charpentier's interior architecture programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/acad%C3%A9miecharpentier

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Académie Charpentier