2026 Best Value Interior Design Schools in Texas
[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 20 schools to find the best return on investment for interior design students.
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2026 Best Value Interior Design Schools in Texas
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 El Centro College, our #1 best value for interior design in Texas. Set in the city of Dallas, El Centro College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,730, with out-of-state students paying around $6,900. Students borrow a median of $11,835 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from El Centro College generally make around $31,478. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in interior design will find it at Collin County Community College District, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of McKinney, Collin County Community College District is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,014, with out-of-state students paying around $6,064. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $6,900. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Collin County Community College District generally make around $33,456. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at El Paso Community College earned it the #3 place for interior design. El Paso Community College is a very large public school located in the city of El Paso. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,274, while out-of-state students pay about $5,314. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $8,542. Interior Design graduates of El Paso Community College earn a median of $29,086 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $8,542 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Houston Community College one of the best values for interior design. Houston Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Houston. In-state tuition and fees average $2,040, while out-of-state students pay about $5,460. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $19,223. Early-career interior design graduates make about $40,365. Set against $19,223 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #5 makes San Jacinto Community College one of the best values for interior design. Located in the city of Pasadena, San Jacinto Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $2,490, with out-of-state students paying around $6,690. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $11,376 in student loans. Interior Design graduates of San Jacinto Community College earn a median of $38,107 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,376 median debt.
University Of North Texas ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value interior design schools. Located in the city of Denton, University Of North Texas is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,309, while out-of-state students pay about $21,149. Students borrow a median of $22,288 to complete the interior design program here. Early-career interior design graduates make about $33,867. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Texas admits about 72% of applicants.
Stephen F Austin State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value interior design schools. Stephen F Austin State University is a large public school located in the town of Nacogdoches. Students from in state pay about $11,128 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,968. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $24,759. Interior Design graduates of Stephen F Austin State University earn a median of $42,197 early in their careers. Set against $24,759 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
The University Of Texas At Arlington ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value interior design schools. Located in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,950, compared with $29,582 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,632 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Arlington generally make around $55,304. That is a strong return on a $21,632 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Sam Houston State University landed the #9 spot for interior design value this year. Sam Houston State University is a very large public school located in the town of Huntsville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,228, while out-of-state students pay about $19,068. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Sam Houston State University generally make around $39,959. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Texas State University San Marcos ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value interior design schools. Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public school located in the city of San Marcos. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,450, with out-of-state students paying around $22,930. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $24,353 in student loans. Early-career interior design graduates make about $44,396. Set against $24,353 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Austin earned the #11 position for value in interior design this year. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Students borrow a median of $22,500 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Austin generally make around $44,506. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At Austin admits about 27% of applicants.
Blinn College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value interior design schools. Set in the town of Brenham, Blinn College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,890, while out-of-state students pay about $11,370. Students borrow a median of $16,465 to complete the interior design program here. Early-career interior design graduates make about $43,408. Set against $16,465 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Texas Tech University earned the #13 position for value in interior design this year. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,852, compared with $24,157 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $24,271. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Texas Tech University generally make around $50,332. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.
University Of The Incarnate Word earned the #14 position for value in interior design this year. Set in the city of San Antonio, University Of The Incarnate Word is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $37,090. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from University Of The Incarnate Word generally make around $27,986. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Wade College ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value interior design schools. Set in the city of Dallas, Wade College is a small private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,680. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $38,214. Early-career interior design graduates make about $24,200. That is a strong return on a $38,214 median debt.
Abilene Christian University earned the #16 position for value in interior design this year. Abilene Christian University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Abilene. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $44,200. Students borrow a median of $21,875 to complete the interior design program here. Early-career interior design graduates make about $38,553. That is a strong return on a $21,875 median debt. The acceptance rate is 66%.
Texas Christian University earned the #17 position for value in interior design this year. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Christian University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,740. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $22,960 in student loans. Interior Design graduates of Texas Christian University earn a median of $60,035 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,960 median debt. Roughly 44% of applicants are accepted.
Baylor University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best value interior design schools. Located in the city of Waco, Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $58,100 in tuition and fees. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Interior Design graduates of Baylor University earn a median of $39,333 early in their careers. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 51%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 14 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.
