2026 Best Value Interior Design Schools in Virginia

[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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for interior design students.
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2026 Best Value Interior Design Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the interior design degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Interior Design Schools
Leading the list is Tidewater Community College, our #1 best value for interior design in Virginia. Tidewater Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,858, while out-of-state students pay about $12,296. Students borrow a median of $10,195 to complete the interior design program here. Interior Design graduates of Tidewater Community College earn a median of $22,935 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northern Virginia Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in interior design, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,891, compared with $12,410 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $18,250. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Northern Virginia Community College generally make around $33,232. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Virginia Commonwealth University earned it the #3 place for interior design. Located in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,720, with out-of-state students paying around $39,884. Students borrow a median of $25,937 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University generally make around $36,156. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in interior design, landing the #4 spot this year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. In-state tuition and fees average $15,948, compared with $37,764 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $25,802. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $46,761. That is a strong return on a $25,802 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
Marymount University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in interior design, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Arlington, Marymount University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,120. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the interior design program here. Interior Design graduates of Marymount University earn a median of $44,175 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Liberty University landed the #6 spot for interior design value this year. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,173. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $40,295. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.