2027 Best Value Interior Design Schools in North Carolina
[Interior Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/interior-design/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong interior design education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 11 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value interior design schools.
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2027 Best Value Interior Design Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in interior design, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Interior Design Schools
Central Piedmont Community College earned the #1 spot for value among interior design schools in North Carolina. Set in the city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,792, compared with $8,936 for out-of-state students. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $11,861 in student loans. Early-career interior design graduates make about $30,979. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Forsyth Technical Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value interior design schools. Forsyth Technical Community College is a large public school located in the city of Winston-Salem. In-state tuition and fees average $2,276, compared with $6,884 for out-of-state students. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $16,374 in student loans. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Forsyth Technical Community College generally make around $29,715. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Randolph Community College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value interior design schools. Randolph Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Asheboro. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,416, compared with $8,176 for out-of-state students. Early-career interior design graduates make about $32,198.
Students looking for strong value in interior design will find it at Wake Technical Community College, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $2,254 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,862 for out-of-state students. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $13,414 in student loans. Early-career interior design graduates make about $32,153. That is a strong return on a $13,414 median debt.
Cape Fear Community College came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value interior design schools. Set in the city of Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,748, with out-of-state students paying around $8,892. Students borrow a median of $12,388 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Cape Fear Community College generally make around $42,889. That is a strong return on a $12,388 median debt.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro placed #6 among the best values for interior design. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,661 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,012. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career interior design graduates make about $38,858. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Western Carolina University earned the #7 position for value in interior design this year. Located in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,630 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,630. Students borrow a median of $29,911 to complete the interior design program here. Interior Design graduates of Western Carolina University earn a median of $32,842 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
East Carolina University came in at #8 for value in interior design this year. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,361, while out-of-state students pay about $23,638. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from East Carolina University generally make around $39,992. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. East Carolina University admits about 89% of applicants.
Appalachian State University landed the #9 spot for interior design value this year. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. Students from in state pay about $7,579 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,212 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $21,500. Interior Design graduates of Appalachian State University earn a median of $34,722 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. Appalachian State University admits about 90% of applicants.
Meredith College landed the #10 spot for interior design value this year. Meredith College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Raleigh. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,630. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the interior design program here. Interior Design graduates of Meredith College earn a median of $36,357 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
High Point University landed the #11 spot for interior design value this year. High Point University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of High Point. In-state tuition and fees average $45,312. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $23,785 in student loans. Interior Design graduates of High Point University earn a median of $113,352 early in their careers. Set against $23,785 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
