30 Best Interior Design Colleges – 2024
April 24, 2024
Interior design majors acquire the aesthetic and technical know-how to pursue careers that involve making indoor spaces beautiful and innovative. In pursuing this bachelor’s degree, students will take coursework in areas such as architectural history, computer imaging, environmental design, lighting and sound, sculpture, painting, 3D modeling, textiles for interiors, and furniture. Some of the institutions with the most well-regarded interior design programs have design or fashion right in their names such as the Fashion Institute of Technology or the Savannah College of Art and Design; other programs are housed within larger universities like Michigan State, the University of Alabama, or UT Austin. All of College Transitions’ Best Colleges for Interior Design will give undergrads the requisite skills to flourish in this exciting and highly creative field.
Methodology
Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for Interior Design Majors.
Best Colleges for Interior Design Majors
Here’s a quick preview of the first interior design departments that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.
1) Cornell University
2) The New School
3) Savannah College of Art and Design
4) Rhode Island School of Design
5) University of Wisconsin-Madison
6) Syracuse University
7) Drexel University
8) Virginia Tech
9) Pratt Institute-Main
10) University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
All of the schools profiled below have stellar reputations in the field of interior design and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the best colleges for interior design, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—each school’s:
We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:
- Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
- Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.
Cornell University
- Ithaca, NY
Academic Highlights: A diverse array of academic programs includes 80 majors and 120 minors spread across the university’s seven schools/colleges. Classes are a bit larger at Cornell than at many other elite institutions. Still, 55% of sections have fewer than 20 students. Most degrees conferred in 2022 were in computer science (17%), engineering (13%), business (13%), and biology (13%). The SC Johnson College of Business houses two undergraduate schools, both of which have phenomenal reputations.
Professional Outcomes: Breaking down the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Cornell, 68% entered the workforce, 28% entered graduate school, 1% pursued other endeavors such as travel or volunteer work, and the remaining 3% were still seeking employment six months after receiving their diplomas. The top sectors attracting campus-wide graduateswere financial services (18%), technology (17%), consulting (15%), and education (10%). Of the students from A&S going on to graduate school, 15% were pursuing JDs, 5% MDs, and 22% PhDs.
- Enrollment: 15,735
- Cost of Attendance: $88,150
- Median SAT: 1520
- Median ACT: 34
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 95%
The New School
- New York, NY
Academic Highlights: A 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio at the New School allows for 89% of course sections to enroll under 20 students. This means students in all academic programs receive a great deal of personalized instruction and attention. The most popular majors at the New School all fall under the umbrella of the visual arts (62%). A smattering of students also concentrate in computer science (11%), journalism (7%), liberal arts (6%), and English (4%).
Professional Outcomes: Within the first year after earning their bachelor’s degree, 82% of graduates have already found their first employment opportunity or elected to continue their studies. 70% of recent grads entered the working world and another 12% entered an advanced degree program. Employers of 15 or more alumni include the United Nations, JP Morgan and Co., Amazon, The New York Times, Meta, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Enrollment: 7,208
- Cost of Attendance: $85,668
- Median SAT: N/A
- Median ACT: N/A
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
Savannah College of Art and Design
- Savannah, GA
Academic Highlights: Savannah College of Art and Design offers more than 40 programs of study and close to half of all classes enroll no more than 19 students. The most commonly pursued degrees are Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects (21%), Illustration (14%), Digital Communication (13%), Cinematography and Film Production (9%), and Fashion/Apparel Design (6%).
Professional Outcomes: A tremendous 99% of SCAD graduates report being employed or engaged in further study within ten months of graduating. Further, 91% state that they are working in a field/position related to their area of study. Many alumni are self-employed but sizable numbers also obtain employment with Amazon, Apple, Deloitte, Gensler, Google, Microsoft, Blizzard Entertainment, Epic Games, and Walt Disney Imagineering.
- Enrollment: 13,622
- Cost of Attendance: $65,574
- Median SAT: 1240
- Median ACT: 24
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 75%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
Rhode Island School of Design
- Providence, RI
Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty ratio at RISD is just 9:1 which means students get a ton of personalized attention from their professors. The average class size is just 15 students. Among the most popular majors are architecture, cinematography and video production, painting, sculpture, illustration, and computer graphics. In total, there are 44 full-time bachelor’s and master’s degree programs for students to choose from.
Professional Outcomes: Recent graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design found their next positive career/educational step at a 97% clip. Companies hiring RISD grads include Athleta, Citigroup, Chewy, Deloitte, Coach, Barefoot Books, the New York Times, Nickelodeon, NVIDIA, NASA, Fidelity, Google, Paramount, Reebok, and West Elm. 46% of recent grads earned more than $40,000 as a starting salary.
- Enrollment: 2,044
- Cost of Attendance: $85,986
- Median SAT: N/A
- Mid-50% ACT: 28-34
- Acceptance Rate: 19%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 89%
University of Wisconsin – Madison
- Madison, WI
Academic Highlights: There are 230+ undergraduate majors offered across eight schools and colleges, including the top-ranked School of Business and College of Engineering as well as the College of Letters and Science, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the Schools of Nursing, Education, Pharmacy, and Human Ecology. Undergrads can expect a mix of large and small classes, with 44% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students. Business (18%), biology (12%), the social sciences (11%), and engineering (10%) are most popular.
Professional Outcomes: In a recent year, 46% of job-seeking grads graduated with an offer. Top employers included UW-Madison, Epic, Kohl’s, Oracle, Deloitte, and UW Health. Across all graduating years, companies employing 250+ alumni include Google, Target, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, PwC, Accenture, and Meta. 28% of recent grads enrolled directly in graduate/professional school; the majority stayed at UW–Madison while others headed to Columbia, Northwestern, and Carnegie Mellon. The university is the top producer of Peace Corps volunteers.
- Enrollment: 37,230 (undergraduate); 12,656 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $28,916 (in-state); $58,912 (out-of-state)
- Median SAT: 1440
- Median ACT: 30
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 89%
Syracuse University
- Syracuse, NY
Academic Highlights: In total, 200+ majors and 100+ minors are spread across ten undergraduate schools/colleges. The School of Architecture, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the Newhouse School of Public Communication are all revered names that carry a good deal of weight in their respective fields. The most popular majors include communication/journalism (15%), the social sciences (14%), and business (12%). Despite Syracuse’s size, class sizes are kept reasonably low; 63% contain 20 students or fewer.
Professional Outcomes: Six months after exiting the Carrier Dome for the final time in 2022, 59% of Orangemen and women found employment (92% related to their career goals) and 21% continued to graduate school. The companies employing the most ‘Cuse grads include major media/entertainment management companies like Conde Nast, Bloomberg, and Creative Artists Agency as well as big-name corporations like GE, KPMG, EY, Lockheed Martin, and Morgan Stanley. The average starting salary for 2022 grads was a solid $63k.
- Enrollment: 15,739 (undergraduate); 7,209 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $85,214
- Median SAT: 1340
- Median ACT: 30
- Acceptance Rate: 43%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
Drexel University
- Philadelphia, PA
Academic Highlights: There are 80+ undergraduate majors to choose from at Drexel and they offer a reasonable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio with commensurately reasonable class sizes. Fifty-two percent of sections contain 19 or fewer students, and just a sliver under 9% of sections contain fifty or more. Looking at the number of degrees conferred by discipline, the big three at Drexel are business (25%), health professions (21%), and engineering (17%). Visual and performing arts (9%), and CS (8%) round out the list of majors with a sizable representation.
Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 97%, Dragons have arrived at their next destination; 81% were employed, and 13% had matriculated into graduate or professional school. The largest employers of Drexel alumni are Comcast, Merck, Vanguard, and Johnson & Johnson. The average starting salary for Drexel grads with a full-time job was $64,774. Drexel’s medical school acceptance rate was 60%, roughly 20 points higher than the national average. It offers an accelerated BS/MD program with its own Drexel University College of Medicine.
- Enrollment: 13,881
- Cost of Attendance: $81,508
- Median SAT: 1330
- Median ACT: 29
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Blacksburg, VA
Academic Highlights: Eight undergraduate colleges that offer 110+ distinct bachelor’s degrees are housed within Virginia Tech. 33% of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 21% of recent graduates report participating in some type of undergraduate research experience. Engineering is the area where the greatest number of degrees are conferred (23%), but business (20%) is a close second. Both disciplines are among the most respected at Tech, along with computer science. Other popular majors include the family and consumer sciences (8%), social sciences (8%), biology (8%), and agriculture (4%).
Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 56% of the Class of 2022 were employed and 18% were in graduate school. One recent class sent large numbers to major corporations that included Deloitte (67), KPMG (44), Lockheed Martin (39), Capital One (30), EY (28), Booz Allen Hamilton (18), and Northrop Grumman (12). The median salary for 2022 graduates was $67,000. Among recent grads who decided to pursue an advanced degree, the greatest number stayed at VT, while others enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, William & Mary, Columbia, Duke, and Georgia Tech.
- Enrollment: 30,434 (undergraduate); 7,736 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $37,252 (in-state); $58,750 (out-of-state)
- Median SAT: 1330
- Median ACT: 29
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 87%
Pratt Institute
- Brooklyn, NY
Academic Highlights: There are 1,200 faculty members at Pratt Institute that provide instruction to 48 academic programs. An enviable 74% of class sections enroll fewer than 20 students. Overall, 65% of all degrees conferred fall under the performing arts umbrella with illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, game design, and cinematography and video production all on the menu. 20% of Pratt students earn architecture degrees and 10% study communication technologies.
Professional Outcomes: Looking at recent Pratt grads, 90% were gainfully employed or attending grad school within six months of earning their undergraduate diploma. Employers who scoop up Pratt alumni include Warner Media, NBC Universal, Gensler, David Zwirner, Apple, PepsiCo, IBM, and LVMH. Further, 78% of graduates are satisfied with their occupation and 85% report that their job is relevant to their field of study.
- Enrollment: 3,702
- Cost of Attendance: $80,993
- Median SAT: 1330
- Median ACT: 30
- Acceptance Rate: 45%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
University of Cincinnati
- Cincinnati, OH
Academic Highlights: More than 90 majors await you at the University of Cincinnati and it all unfolds with an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio. There is a mix of small and large class sections: 32% have 19 or fewer students and 20% have 50% or more. The most frequently conferred degrees in 2022 were business (20%), health professions (14%), engineering (12%), biology (7%), the visual arts (7%), and computer science (6%).
Professional Outcomes: Looking at all graduating seniors in 2022, 83% had obtained employment within six months of earning their degree and 13% were continuing their education. The average starting salary earned was $53,761. Hundreds of Bearcat alumni can be found in the offices of GE Aerospace, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati Children’s. Fifth Third Bank, Medpace, Apple, JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services.
- Enrollment: 29,989
- Cost of Attendance: $26,456 (In-State); $40,066 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1260
- Median ACT: 26
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 72%
Fashion Institute of Technology
- New York, NY
Academic Highlights: FIT is a public institution that attracts students from 46 nations and offers programs in Art & Design, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Business and Technology. The most popular majors at the Fashion Institute of Technology are fashion merchandising (24%), fashion & apparel design (18%), communication management (16%), international marketing (16%), and design and visual communications (5%).
Professional Outcomes: 78% of those who earned a bachelor’s in 2022 were employed six months after graduation and 18% were looking for work. Most fresh alumni (85%) were employed by a company and 13% were freelancers. Employers of more than 100 FIT alumni include L’Oreal, Ralph Lauren, Macy’s, Nike, Amazon, Coach, Victoria’s Secret & Co., the Estee Lauder Companies, CHANEL, Louis Vuitton, and the Style Shop.
- Enrollment: 7,872
- Tuition: $6,170 (In-State); $16,750 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: N/A
- Median ACT: N/A
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
Florida State University
- Tallahassee, FL
Academic Highlights: A wide range of baccalaureate degrees—103 to be precise—are available at FSU. The student-to-faculty is a 17:1, which translates into somewhat larger class sizes. Ten percent of sections contain more than fifty students, and 4% have more than 100. However, that is balanced by the 66% of sections that contain fewer than twenty students. Twenty-three percent of degrees conferred fall under the business umbrella. The social sciences (15%), psychology (8%), biology (8%), and homeland security (6%) are next in popularity.
Professional Outcomes: Eighty-three percent of job-seeking Seminole grads receive at least one offer of employment within three months of graduation. The top five sectors employing 2022 grads are (in order) finance, technology, marketing, health, and engineering. Roughly one-third of 2022 Florida State grads elected to immediately pursue admission into an advanced degree program; 75% of those who apply receive at least one acceptance. A typical graduating class sees over 100 students accepted into medical schools and over 200 accepted into law schools.
- Enrollment: 32,936
- Cost of Attendance: $25,762 (In-State); $39,692 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1300
- Median ACT: 29
- Acceptance Rate: 25%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
George Washington University
- Washington, D.C.
Academic Highlights: GW undergraduates choose from 75+ majors spread across nine colleges. The school’s 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio translates to a mix of small, medium, and large undergraduate sections. Twelve percent of courses have single-digit enrollments, 10% have over 50 students, and the majority fall in the 10 to 29 range. The social sciences (31%) are the area in which the greatest number of degrees are awarded followed by health professions (17%), business (15%), biology (5%), and computer science (5%).
Professional Outcomes: Within six months of leaving GW, 96% of the Class of 2022 had found their way to gainful employment or graduate school while 4% were still job hunting. Of the 68% of grads already in the workplace, 68% were in a for-profit industry, 25% had entered a nonprofit position, and 8% were working in government. A healthy 27% of those earning their diplomas in 2022 immediately turned their attention to earning an advanced degree. Among that group were 76% seeking master’s degrees, 11% entering law school, 5% pursuing a medical degree, and 3% entering a doctoral program.
- Enrollment: 11,482
- Cost of Attendance: $85,740
- Median SAT: 1410
- Median ACT: 32
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
University of Florida
- Gainesville, FL
Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. The Warrington College of Business and the Wertheim College of Engineering are highly respected, so it’s no surprise that those two programs confer the greatest percentage of degrees—12% and 14%, respectively. Biology (11%), the social sciences (11%), and health professions (8%) are next in popularity. 53% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and 33% of students partake in an undergraduate research experience.
Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 66% of the Class of 2022 had already procured a first job. The top occupational areas were engineering (13%), health care (13%), computer science (5%), and marketing (4%). 200+ Gator alumni can be found at top corporations like Google, EY, Raymond James, Deloitte, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, and PwC. The average salary for all 2022 grads was $69k, with a high of $100k for computer science majors. Of those pursuing advanced degrees, a master’s degree was the most popular pursuit (63%) followed by law school (11%).
- Enrollment: 34,552 (undergraduate); 20,659 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $23,530 (in-state); $45,808 (out-of-state)
- Median SAT: 1400
- Median ACT: 31
- Acceptance Rate: 23%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 90%
Auburn University
- Auburn, AL
Academic Highlights: The faculty-student ratio is 20:1, but only about 35% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. Overall, undergraduates can choose from over 150 majors across 12 colleges, which include highly regarded business and engineering programs. Majors in architecture, apparel merchandising & design, and interior design receive high marks, as does nursing. In 2022, the greatest number of degrees conferred were in business (24%) followed by engineering (18%), biological/life sciences (10%), and health professions (6%).
Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 58% of the Class of 2022 were employed full-time, 23% had entered graduate programs. 59% were pursuing master’s degrees, 28% professional degrees, and 4% doctorates. In 2022, the average starting salary was $58,708; engineering graduates enjoyed the highest average starting salary ($71,656). At least ten recent grads can be found at each of Vanderbilt, Emory, Columbia, Georgia Tech, NYU, and Johns Hopkins.
- Enrollment: 25,379
- Cost of Attendance: $27,932 (in-state); $49,340 (out-of-state)
- Median SAT: 1320
- Median ACT: 28
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Retention Rate: 92%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
The University of Texas at Austin
- Austin, TX
Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 150 majors, including those at the Cockrell School of Engineering, one of the most heralded undergraduate engineering schools around, and The McCombs School of Business, which dominates in the specialty areas of accounting and marketing. The computer science department is also top-ranked. In terms of degrees conferred, engineering is tied with biology (12%) followed by communication (11%), business (11%), and the social sciences (8%). The elite Plan II Honors Program is one of the best in the country.
Professional Outcomes: Within the College of Liberal Arts, six months after graduating, 68% of Longhorns are employed and 24% have entered graduate school. The for-profit sector attracts 65% of those employed while 19% enter public sector employment and 16% pursue jobs at a nonprofit. Major corporations that employ more than 500 UT Austin grads include Google, Meta, Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. Engineering majors took home a median income of $79k and business majors took home $70k.
- Enrollment: 41,309 (undergraduate); 11,075 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $30,752-$34,174 (in-state); $61,180-$69,310 (out-of-state)
- Median SAT: 1430
- Median ACT: 32
- Acceptance Rate: 31%
- Retention Rate: 95%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
Oregon State University
- Corvallis, Oregon
Academic Highlights: Across its 11 colleges, graduate schools, and Honors College, OSU offers close to 200 degree programs. While 28% of classes have fewer than 20 students another 21% of sections enroll more than 50 individuals. The three most commonly earned degrees are in engineering (17%) computer science (15%), and business (15%). Other popular areas of study are biology (7%), natural resources and conservation (6%), and the social sciences (5%).
Professional Outcomes: Large number of College of Business alums work at companies such as Nike, Boeing, Intel, Deloitte, Oracle, KPMG, and Adidas. Including all majors, many others work for Amazon, Salesforce, Meta, Apple, Google, and NVIDIA. An impressive 67% of those applying to medical school are accepted, a figure far higher than the national average. Med schools where recent grads now attend include Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago, and UCLA.
- Enrollment: 28,905
- Cost of Attendance: $28,866 (In-State); $51,642 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1260
- Median ACT: 26
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
Iowa State University
- Ames, IA
Academic Highlights: With more than 100 majors available across six undergraduate colleges, Iowa State has no shortage of academic pathways to explore. The student-to-faculty ratio is 19:1, yet, courses are a mix of large and small. 31% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students and 22% enroll more than 50. In terms of sheer popularity, engineering wins the day accounting for 23% of degrees earned in 2022. Business (18%), agricultural fields (10%), biology (5%), and education (5%) also see high volume.
Professional Outcomes: Graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are employed in fairly large numbers by the likes of John Deere, Principal Financial Group, and Amazon. Overall, the most alumni work for Wells Fargo, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, Collins Aerospace, Cargill, and Microsoft. Most remain in Iowa after graduation but many also move to Minnesota, Chicago, California, or Texas. The average starting salary for an engineering grad was $74,716 in 2023.
- Enrollment: 25,241
- Cost of Attendance: $24,204 (In-State); $41,390 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1220
- Median ACT: 24
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
Thomas Jefferson University
- Philadelphia, PA
Academic Highlights: Offering 160+ undergraduate and graduate degrees combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. Sporting an excellent 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, this private university keeps 59% of its class sections at under 20 students. 30% of all degrees conferred are for registered nursing, followed by family practice nursing (12%), health services (12%), allied health diagnostic (6%), architectural technology (4%), and fashion merchandising (4%).
Professional Outcomes: Shortly after earning their undergraduate degrees, 60% of recent alumni had already found their first job and 37% were pursuing an advanced degree. The top employers included JP Morgan Chase & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Fox Chase Cancer Center, BLT Architects, and Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Graduate school enrollments included Hofstra, Temple School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, UPenn, and Penn State.
- Enrollment: 3,771
- Cost of Attendance: $60,889
- Median SAT: 1210
- Median ACT: 29
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
Purdue University — West Lafayette
- West Lafayette, IN
Academic Highlights: Purdue offers over 200 majors at ten discipline-specific colleges, and 38% of course sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer. Engineering and engineering technologies majors earn 34% of the degrees conferred by the university; the College of Engineering cracks the top ten on almost every list of best engineering schools. The Krannert School of Management is also well-regarded by employers; 11% of degrees conferred are in business. Other popular majors include computer science (10%) and agriculture (5%)—both are incredibly strong.
Professional Outcomes: Shortly after receiving their diplomas, 70% of 2022 grads headed to the world of employment while 24% headed to graduate/professional school. The top industries entered by grads in recent years are (1) health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices; (2) finance, insurance, and consulting; (3) manufacturing and machinery; (4) airline, aviation, and aerospace. Companies employing the greatest number of recent alumni were Amazon, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Labcorp, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft. The average starting salary was $68k across all degree programs.
- Enrollment: 37,949 (undergraduate); 12,935 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $22,812 (in-state); $41,614 (out-of-state)
- Median SAT: 1330
- Median ACT: 31
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
Kansas State University
- Manhattan, KS
Academic Highlights: K-State offers 250+ majors, minors, and certificates in a wide variety of academic disciplines. Impressively, this state university has 47% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students; the student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1. 20% of all 2022 degrees were awarded in business, while agriculture (12%), engineering (11%), interdisciplinary studies (8%), and biology (7%) are also popular. The engineering program has a strong national reputation.
Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 96% of K-State alumni are employed or pursuing further education. The most common employers for 2023 graduates were Koch Industries, Textron, the US Army, Garmin, Burns & McConnell. Thirty percent of grads enjoy a starting salary of more than $70,000 and 23% earn between $60k-$69k. Those attending graduate school primarily flocked to K-State, the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri, the University of Nebraska, and Wichita State University.
- Enrollment: 15,046
- Cost of Attendance: $23,896 (In-State); $40,368 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1220
- Median ACT: 23
- Acceptance Rate: 95%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
University of Alabama
- Tuscaloosa, AL
Academic Highlights: Approximately half of all courses at the University of Alabama contain fewer than 20 students and 17% contain 50 or more; the student-to-faculty ratio is 19:1. The greatest number of undergraduates study business (29%), while other popular majors include engineering (11%), journalism (9%), and the social sciences (9%). The engineering, nursing, accounting, marketing, and economics programs have stellar reputations with prospective employers.
Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 92% of alumni have already achieved a positive result; 58% go into the working world and one-third enter graduate/professional school. Top employers include Epic. Lockheed Martin, AT&T, Northrop Grumman, EY, and Dell. The average salary for a Class of 2022 grad was $54,290. For grad school, the highest number of students stay at Alabama while many others enroll at Vanderbilt, FSU, and the University of South Carolina.
- Enrollment: 32,458
- Cost of Attendance: $26,740 (In-State); $48,040 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1210
- Median ACT: 26
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
The Ohio State University — Columbus
- Columbus, OH
Academic Highlights: There are 200+ undergraduate majors and 18 schools and colleges housed within OSU. Business sees the greatest percentage of degrees conferred at 18% followed by engineering (15%), health professions (10%), and the social sciences (9%). It makes sense that so many flock to the business and engineering schools as they are among the highest-rated undergraduate programs in their respective disciplines. 40% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and approximately 20% of students gain research experience.
Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 56% of Class of 2022 graduates were entering the world of employment while 17% were already accepted into graduate or professional school. Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation’s leading companies. More than 2,000 alumni work for JPMorgan Chase, more than 1,000 are employed by Amazon, and more than 600 work for Google and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU’s own programs.
- Enrollment: 45,728 (undergraduate); 14,318 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $27,241 (in-state); $52,747 (out-of-state)
- Median SAT: 1340-1450
- Median ACT: 29-32
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
Baylor University
- Waco, TX
Academic Highlights: Class sizes at Baylor generally range from small to medium, with 48% of sections containing fewer than 20 students and 76% enrolling fewer than 29. Far more Bears major in business/marketing (25%) than the second-place finisher, health professions (19%). Other popular academic pursuits are biology (12%) and communication/journalism (7%), both of which are very strong. The Hankamer School of Business is highly respected across the country.
Professional Outcomes: At the 180-day post-graduation point, those who earned their diplomas from Baylor had entered the world of full-time employment at a 50% clip, and 28% had entered a graduate or professional degree program. Large numbers of recent grads were scooped up by many of the most desirable employers in the country including Dell (19), EY (16), and Oracle (16). The average starting salary was $59k. Among recent grads, the most commonly attended graduate school was Baylor itself (125), followed by Texas A&M (12).
- Enrollment: 15,213
- Cost of Attendance: $69,970
- Median SAT: 1320
- Median ACT: 30
- Acceptance Rate: 46%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
- Minneapolis, MN
Academic Highlights: There are 150 majors available across eight freshman-admitting undergraduate colleges. 65% of class sections enroll 29 or fewer students. The most commonly conferred degrees are in biology (13%), business & marketing (11%), engineering (10%), the social sciences (10%), computer science (9%), and psychology (8%). The College of Science and Engineering and the Carlson School of Management have strong national reputations, and the chemistry, economics, psychology, and political science departments are also well-regarded.
Professional Outcomes: The top seven companies snatching up the largest number of recent grads are all companies headquartered in the state of Minnesota: Medtronic, Target, 3M, United Health Group, US Bank, and Cargill. Google, Apple, and Meta all employ hundreds of Twin Cities alumni. The mean starting salary for recent grads was $50k. With 130 graduate programs in science, art, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and the humanities, the University of Minnesota retains many of its graduates as they pursue their next degrees.
- Enrollment: 39,248 (undergraduate); 15,707 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $33,032-$35,632 (in-state); $54,446-$57,046
- Median SAT: 1370
- Median ACT: 29
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
Texas Christian University
- Forth Worth, TX
Academic Highlights: TCU offers 116 undergraduate majors. The most popular are housed in the Neely School of Business, including the highly-rated BBA in Entrepreneurship. 27% of all degrees conferred in 2022 fell under the business umbrella. The engineering program is also well-regarded. Other commonly conferred degrees include communications/journalism (15%), health professions (11%), and the social sciences (9%). 39% of its class sections have 20 or fewer students, and only 5% of courses seat more than 50.
Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 48% of recent diploma-earners were employed and 18% had their graduate school placement lined up. American Airlines, Deloitte, IBM, Lockheed Martin, and Medical City Hospitals employ the greatest number of recent alumni. Other companies with a large TCU presence include Microsoft, CBRE, Goldman Sachs, and AT&T. The most recent median starting salary was $58,900. For those who enrolled in an advanced degree program, the most commonly pursued areas of study were medicine/health (27%), business (21%), and psychology (13%).
- Enrollment: 10,523 (undergraduate); 1,750 (graduate)
- Cost of Attendance: $85,051
- Median SAT: 1260
- Median ACT: 28
- Acceptance Rate: 56%
- Retention Rate: 92%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
Appalachian State University
- Boone, NC
Academic Highlights: Students can select from 150 bachelor’s degrees and 80 graduate programs at App State. A reasonable 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to 39% of all course sections having fewer than 20 students and just 8% enrolling 50 or more. 20% of all 2022 grads earned their degree in business/marketing followed by health professions (10%), education (9%), parks & recreation (9%), journalism (8%), and psychology (7%).
Professional Outcomes: Within one year of graduating, 86% of those surveyed have arrived at their next destination. Undergrads benefit from nine annual career fairs and the 16,000 employers that are approved to recruit on campus. Further, 99% of students find the Career Development Center to be helpful. Alumni go on to work in large numbers for Wells Fargo, Atrium Health, Novant Health, Bank of America, Red Hat, Cisco, and Duke Energy Corporation.
- Enrollment: 18,558
- Cost of Attendance: $20,339 (In-State); $37,335 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1180
- Median ACT: 24
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 83%
- Graduation Rate: 75%
Michigan State University
- East Lansing, MI
Academic Highlights: This highly regarded state institution boasts over 200 programs—undergraduate, graduate, and professional—across 17 degree-granting colleges. A 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio rates in the average range for public universities of MSU’s size and scope. Class sizes are a genuine mix of small seminars and giant lecture halls. 16% of the degrees conferred in 2022 were in the business/marketing category. The next most common degrees were earned in communication/journalism (12%), engineering (11%), and the social sciences (8%).
Professional Outcomes: Within months of strutting across the graduation stage, 56% of Class of 2022 members had landed full-time employment, 27% were pursuing advanced degrees, and 6% were still looking for a job. The top employers of this group included big names like General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Deloitte, Epic Systems, Target, PepsiCo, and Microsoft. The median starting salary earned was $60,000. Among the grads schools favored by recent alumni are the University of Michigan, New York University, Columbia University, and Boston University.
- Enrollment: 39,201
- Cost of Attendance: $27,805 (In-State); $55,189 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1220
- Median ACT: 27
- Acceptance Rate:
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 82%
University of Oklahoma
- Norman, OK
Academic Highlights: In total, OU offers 170 academic programs, 80 of which are housed within the OU Health Sciences Center. With a very reasonable student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1, the University of Oklahoma is able to run 47% of its course sections with an enrollment of 19 or less. Business (26%) is by far the most commonly conferred degree, followed by engineering (13%), agriculture (9%), biology (8%), and psychology (5%).
Professional Outcomes: The top hiring employers in 2022 were Paycom, Deloitte, KPMG, Dell, AT&T, Boeing, Amazon, and Norman Public Schools. These connections are enhanced by the fact that 38% of recent grads reported completing an experiential learning opportunity during their undergraduate years. Large numbers of alumni are now pursuing an advanced degree at SMU, NYU, Oklahoma State, the University of Tulsa, and the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
- Enrollment: 21,294
- Cost of Attendance: $29,553 (In-State); $46,633 (Out-of-State)
- Median SAT: 1130
- Median ACT: 23
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
Arizona State University
- Tempe, AZ
Academic Highlights: The faculty-to-student ratio is a fairly high 19:1, but not all classes call for stadium seating. In fact, 40% of course sections seat fewer than twenty students. Business is the concentration in which 22% of total bachelor’s degrees are conferred. Engineering (9%), biology (9%), and the health professions (7%) are the next three most popular. The WP Carey School of Business offers many highly ranked programs as does the Fulton Schools of Engineering.
Professional Outcomes: A healthy 83% percent of ASU graduates looking for work are employed within six months of earning their degrees. The median salary for an ASU grad is roughly $55,000. Among the school’s top fifty employers are Amazon, Apple, Intel, The Vanguard Group, and Walt Disney Company. Approximately one-fifth of recent grads enrolled in graduate school. Similar to employment, the size and scope of the university lead to many graduate pathways. Many grads continue at ASU itself, but some continue at various prestigious institutions.
- Enrollment: 65,492
- Cost of Attendance: $28,142 (in-state); $48,284 (out-of-state)
- Median SAT: 1250
- Median ACT: 23
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Interior Design to be useful and informative as you continue your college search process. We also invite you to check out some of our other resources and tools including:
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