- California
- Interior Design
January 26, 2024 | Admin
1
American River College
- Sacramento, California
- Graduation Rate: 20%
American River College is a community college that tops our list of the best interior design schools in California due to its accredited program and low tuition. ARC’s program is a unique Associate’s in Interior Planning and Design. This program gives students a valuable dual skillset.
School Overview
Tuition per year: $1,104 in-state, $8,928 non-resident
2
Las Positas College
- Livermore, California
- Graduation Rate: 18%
Las Positas College is another community college with a leading interior design program. It offers interior design programs at both the certificate and associate’s degree level. Las Positas offers evening classes to accommodate working professionals.
School Overview
Tuition per year: $1,164 in-state; $7,932 non-resident
3
Orange Coast College
- Costa Mesa, California
- Graduation Rate: 21%
Orange Coast College is one of the leading two-year colleges in California, and its interior design program contributes to this sterling reputation. Orange Coast College offers interior design certificates and associate’s degrees. Students study interior merchandising as part of their degree program.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $1,188 in-state; $7,836 non-resident
4
Palomar College
- San Marcos, California
- Graduation Rate: 21%
Palomar College is a community college in the San Diego area. It offers certificates and associate’s degrees in Interior Design. This NKBA-affiliated program provides students with cutting-edge education in technology like Autocad and Revit.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $1,338 in-state; $8,898 non-resident
5
Saddleback College
- Mission Viejo, California
- Graduation Rate: 17%
Saddleback College is a community college in Mission Viejo. It offers interior design certificates and associate’s degrees. Students are eligible to sit for a national licensing exam upon graduation.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $1,330 in-state; $9,590 non-resident
6
Santa Barbara City College
- Santa Barbara, California
- Graduation Rate: 19%
Santa Barbara City College is the main community college in the area. It offers an Associate’s in Interior Design. This program is offered through the Drafting CAD department, so students will certainly get a strong background in computer-aided design (CAD).
School Overview
Tuition rate: $,1374 in-state; $8,326 non-resident
7
West Valley College
- Saratoga, California
- Graduation Rate: 14%
West Valley College is one of the top interior design schools in California. Like many of the schools on this list, it offers both a certificate and an Associate’s in Interior Design. West Valley’s program is accredited by the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $1,434 in-state; $9,894 non-resident
8
San Francisco State University
- San Francisco, California
- Graduation Rate: 79%
San Francisco State University has the top interior design program among public schools in the state. Its program is a Bachelor’s in Interior Design. Graduates are eligible to sit for the national licensing exam.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $7,266 in-state; $19,146 non-resident
9
California State University – Sacramento
- Sacramento, California
- Graduation Rate: 78%
California State University – Sacramento is the second university in Northern California on our list. It is one of only three public universities in the state to offer an interior design program. This unique program offers students a Bachelor’s in Interior Design with a specialization in Interior Architecture. This gives students a well-rounded and valuable skillset.
School Overview
Tuition per year: $7,368 in-state; $19,248 non-resident
10
California State University – Long Beach
- Long Beach, California
- Graduation Rate: 68%
California State University – Long Beach, better known as CSULB, is a public university with a top interior design program. Its Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design requires students to complete 132 units of coursework. Students will be required to submit a portfolio of work before being admitted into the program as juniors.
School Overview
Tuition per year: $6,834 in-state; $18,714 non-resident
11
San Jose State University
- San Jose, California
- Graduation Rate: 62%
San Jose State University is the final public university on our list. Its Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design provides students with a well-rounded education in the field. It is known for educating students in cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality and 3D printing.
School Overview
Tuition per year: $7,852 in-state; $19,732 non-resident
12
Design Institute of San Diego
- San Diego, California
- Graduation Rate: 63%
The Design Institute of San Diego is the first of several private institutions on our list. It is unique in that it is completely devoted to interior design. It offers a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design and a rare Master’s in Interior Design.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $25,649
13
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandisng
- Los Angeles, California
- Graduation Rate: 71%
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising is known for offering leading design programs in a number of fields, including interior design. FIDM offers both an Associate’s in Interior Design and a Bachelor’s in Interior Design. This program provides students a thorough education in both the design and the business sides of this profession.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $32,732
14
Academy of Art University
- San Francisco, California
- Graduation Rate: 38%
The Academy of Art University is another small private institution with a leading interior design program. It offers associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in Interior Architecture and Design. Students receive a dual education that can make them more versatile professionals upon graduation.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $26,728
15
Point Loma Nazarene University
- San Diego, California
- Graduation Rate: 71%
Point Loma Nazarene University is a Catholic institution with a strong interior design program. It offers a Bachelor’s in Fashion and Interiors with a concentration in Interior Design. This program requires students to complete 63 credits of coursework after completing general education requirements.
School Overview
Tuition rate: $36,950
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Our Ranking Methodology
We came up with these rankings after using a formula to give every interior design school a rating. Our formula took both the yearly tuition rate and the graduation rate of each school into account. For the public schools that had different tuition rates for in-state and non-resident students, we only looked at the resident rate. We took each school’s yearly tuition rate and added a multiplier equivalent to the percentage of enrolled students who did not graduate. Here’s an example: College 1 has a yearly tuition rate of $40,000 and a graduation rate of 80%. Its rating would be 48,000 (40,000 x 120%). Lower ratings are better for a school’s ranking.
Students who are looking for the best interior design schools in California can find the right program through our site.
Representatives of the schools on this list can contact us with any questions or corrections they have.
