### SUMMARY

 A degree in Interior Design is a valuable choice and often an obligatory first step for undergraduates choosing to pursue a career as an interior designer, a sofa artisan, or a rug craftsmen. In fact, interior design is of average popularity ranking as the 121st most popular major. Last academic year alone, there were 2,721 interior design graduates. In-state tuition for interior design at private institutions is, on average, 3.4 times more spendy than their public rivals.

 There are 172 universities that offer interior design. 172 universities is on par with other degrees offered in the United States. If you are hoping to immerse yourself with other interior design undergrads, look at schools in California which have the most undergraduates admitted to interior design annually. More generally, the best region to major in interior design is in the Southeast region with [The University of Alabama](/colleges/the-university-of-alabama), [AI Miami International University of Art and Design](/colleges/ai-miami-international-university-of-art-and-design), and [Savannah College of Art and Design](/colleges/savannah-college-of-art-and-design) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick of the best conference to major in interior design is the Big Twelve Conference with [Iowa State University](/colleges/iowa-state-university), [Oklahoma State University-Main Campus](/colleges/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus), and [Texas Christian University](/colleges/texas-christian-university) representing the conference. From our extensive list on the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our belief is that the best university for interior design is [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university).

 The objectively 'best' school does not have to be the best school for you. There might be tons of angels to consider when deciding on institution. Things such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food would affect one's inclinations on where to go to school. At Authority, we have examined the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you want to know which interior design university boasts the top college campus, the answer is [Michigan State University](/colleges/michigan-state-university). If you are primarily interested in which school has the best campus, then we have an entire list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through government databases, professor reviews, student reviews, and more in order to compare all U.S. majors in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can explore our comprehensive list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand, from that list, our selection of the university with the best student life for interior design is [University of Florida](/colleges/university-of-florida). Curious why? Keep reading to learn more about our top recommendations. Some of our picks will probably surprise you.

 If cost is a primary factor in your decisions, you might consider avoiding [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university). [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university)&nbspappears to be our most expensive college for interior design, at least for out of state students. We do have a list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that might put the price tag of [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you could be interested to know that interior design is the 190th most expensive program in the nation, with an average cost of $30,700. On a broader scale, the most expensive state for interior design in the country is District of Columbia demonstrated by a tuition of $54,453 at the main college in the state George Washington University. To zoom out even further, the most expensive region for interior design is the Mid East region which is best demonstrated with [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university) with a cost of $54,453, [Pratt Institute-Main](/colleges/pratt-institute-main) with a cost of $51,754, and [Drexel University](/colleges/drexel-university) with a cost of $52,146.

 Our cheapest region for interior design is the Plains region which is represented by [Park University](/colleges/park-university) with a cost of $7,999, [North Dakota State University-Main Campus](/colleges/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus) with a cost of $12,413, and [South Dakota State University](/colleges/south-dakota-state-university) with a cost of $11,172. More optimistically, the most affordable university for interior design is [Fashion Institute of Technology](/colleges/fashion-institute-of-technology). Authority's full list of the most affordable universities can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state attendees can expect to pay around $10,000 for a degree in interior design. The cost swells intensely to an average of $23,500 for the out-of-state public-school student. On that note, our selection for the college representing the best value for interior design: [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university). On this page you will see our comprehensive list on the colleges we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. With that said, this idea is based on the assumption that you are an out-of-state student. A discussion of value changes when in-state tuition costs are considered, but we do not know where you live (and are not trying to collect that kind of data).

 Earnings for interior design majors can cover a wide range, but two years after graduation graduates will typically earn around $52,800. There can be a lot of variation in earnings potential; top earners can rake in up to $86,300. Right out of university, the lowest end positions within the interior design space make $33,100, which is an alright wage. The highest earning graduates from interior design graduated from [Drexel University](/colleges/drexel-university)&nbspand if you want to find the schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The general diversity of interior design ranks below average, ranking in the 42nd percentile of all programs. The school with the most composite diversity for interior design is [The New School](/colleges/the-new-school)&nbspand here you can find our general list of the universities with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of the Interior Design major ranks only within the 89th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is even less in the 56th percentile. White students compose the largest share at 59% of students studying interior design. Additionally, 90% of scholars seeking an interior design degree are women.

 The median ranking for interior design professors is 2.9 stars, a score that is 27% worse than the median score for all majors; which is a subpar score. If you are looking for the most popular interior design instructor in the country, look no further than Susan Meggs at [East Carolina University](/colleges/east-carolina-university). This might be shocking, but the best ranked professors of interior design from student rankings are found at [East Carolina University](/colleges/east-carolina-university). As we including information other than just rankings we find that the university with the overall best instructors for interior design is [The University of Texas at Austin](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-austin). One can find more detail on our ever evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with some of the top professors in the country.

 Finally, the hardest school to get into for interior design is [New York School of Interior Design](/colleges/new-york-school-of-interior-design). While we think of this list more as a novelty, we do have an extensive page for the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). But, we do hope you believe that looking at academics with context only formed from superlatives might cause issues. We encourage you to look at some of our other pages on different colleges and read a couple of our helpful background pages on important things to look for as your college search continues.



 ### POPULARITY

 Interior design is the 121st most popular degree in America, with 2,721 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #122 [Dance](/rankings/best-colleges-for-dance), and narrowly lost to #120 [Pharmaceutical Sciences](/rankings/best-colleges-for-pharmaceutical-sciences).

 The degree is offered at a total of 172 colleges across the nation, and is the 114th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 3% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that 65% of colleges offering interior design are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The southeast produces the most interior design graduates, largely led by [The University of Alabama](/colleges/the-university-of-alabama), while it’s the Big Twelve Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [California State University-Long Beach](/colleges/california-state-university-long-beach) and [California State University-Sacramento](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more interior design graduates than [Mesa Community College](/colleges/mesa-community-college), which graduated 117 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study interior design). More students studied interior design as a percentage of total students at [New York School of Interior Design](/colleges/new-york-school-of-interior-design) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Interior design is the 190th most expensive major in the nation, with a median cost of $30,712 among the top 50 programs (just ahead of #191, [Organizational Leadership](rankings/best-colleges-for-organizational-leadership), with a median cost of $30,630).

 The Mid East has the most expensive colleges with top of the line interior design programs led by [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university) with an annual cost of $56,845. District of Columbia is the most expensive state for interior design also led by [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university).

 Public schools with good programs by and large charge 70.38% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 30.57% less than your average private school. So make sure to take a look at public shools in your state sooner rather than later.

 The most expensive top 25 college for interior design is [George Washington University](/colleges/george-washington-university), which is the 19th most expensive college in America. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Western Carolina University](/colleges/western-carolina-university). It costs just $5,000 per year, but it's ranked 78th for its interior design program. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable college, [Fashion Institute of Technology](/colleges/fashion-institute-of-technology)  could be a good fit for you, ranked #8 with an in-state cost of just $5,190. Another more affordable pick would be #7, [Florida State University](/colleges/florida-state-university) in Leon County, FL with a cost of $4,022 for in-state students and $16,540 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Paying for college is an important investment for most undergraduates. It's critical to be confident you are equipped to payback that investment. We wish for the following career and earnings facts to assist you in making a well informed decision when choosing your major.

 The average Interior Design student generates a starting income of $30,102 per year (bottom 20%). After some time in their work lives, they normally make anywhere between $33,094 and $86,267, but average roughly $52,827. To put it in context, that is 37% north of the national average.

 The most common job for an Interior Design graduate is Designer And Sales Associate, which commonly make close to $33,000; next are Sales Consultant and Consultant, which ordinarily make near $36,000 and $56,000 respectively.

 The Far West has the highest earning Interior Design graduates. The best paid state for Interior Design graduates is OR. The most well paid conference for Interior Design graduates is University Athletic Association.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Interior Design: Median Professor Rating: 2.9 / 5, which is below average.

 Professors repeatedly have a pivotal influence your college experience, no matter what you study. A good professor might provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem easy. Conversely, an unpleasant professor can mess up your education or even worse... flunk you!

 Professors of Interior Design, disappointingly, only have a median student rating of 2.9 out of 5, putting them in the bottom 1 percent in America grounded in overall professor quality. For context that's 27.5% below the national median professor rating for all subjects. Professors of Interior Design slightly edged-out those from ["Latin American Studies"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-latin-american-studies), whereas ["Chemical Engineering"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-chemical-engineering)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Interior Design.

 Now for some statistics about Interior Design professors. Colleges located in large suburbs tend to have the best Interior Design professors. The American Athletic Conference has the highest rated Interior Design professors. The Great Lakes region has the highest rated Interior Design professors. Public universities tend to have higher rated Interior Design professors than private institutions. Finally, Illinois has the highest rated Interior Design professors in the US.

 Susan Meggs, professor at [East Carolina University](/colleges/east-carolina-university)&nbspin Greenville, NC is the most popular Interior Design professor in the United States. Viki Oboikovitz, instructor at [College of DuPage](/colleges/college-of-dupage)&nbspin Glen Ellyn, IL is the highest rated Interior Design professor in the nation, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Learn which colleges have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College is a profoundly significant time in one's life; it's a chance for individual growth and development. Pupils continue to learn who they want to be and learn many of the indispensable skills to be a prosperous member of society. But growth is more than what one learns in a classroom environment - the discussions which one has with his peers, the nugget of wisdom learned from a tenured professor, the exposure to a different background. As such, attending a diverse college greatly enriches what one gains from the time at college.

 Interior Design is a slightly more racially diverse subject than average\*. 59% of the United States' Interior Design majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(19%), latino students (12%), and asian students (6%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [New York Institute of Technology](/colleges/new-york-institute-of-technology)&nbspin Old Westbury, NY.

 Additionally, Interior Design skews very female, more so 94% of subjects. 9 in every 10 students majoring in Interior Design identify as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [Oklahoma Christian University](/colleges/oklahoma-christian-university) in Edmond, OK.

 Another critical type of diversity is economic diversity. Interior Design is the 45th most financially diverse focus in the nation. 26% of its majors come from households who bring in south of $30,000 a year, 16% are from households with $48,000 to $75,000 annual incomes, and 26% grew up in high income households. [Ball State University](/colleges/ball-state-university) is the most financially diverse college in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall NY is the most diverse state for Interior Design. The Mid East is the most diverse region, and the Heartland Conference is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 6%
* Black: 4%
* Latino: 12%
* White: 59%
* Other: 19%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 10%
* Female: 90%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 26%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 16%
* Over 110k: 26%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 72%
* Out of State: 24%
* International: 4%


University of Wisconsin-Madison

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

University of Florida

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University of Washington-Seattle Campus

The University of Texas at Austin

Ohio State University-Main Campus

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University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

George Washington University

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Texas Christian University

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University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

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Rhode Island School of Design

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2023 Interior Design Salary

There are about 23,500 students enrolled in Interior Design in the USA.

SALARY