2026 Best Value Interior Design Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Interior Design](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/interior-design/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. 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 22 schools to find the best return on investment for interior design students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Interior Design Schools in the The Plains States Region
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
Metropolitan Community College Area earned the #1 spot for value among interior design schools in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Omaha, Metropolitan Community College Area is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,375, compared with $4,950 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,526 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Metropolitan Community College Area generally make around $29,902. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Kirkwood Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value interior design schools. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,176, while out-of-state students pay about $8,220. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $10,519. Interior Design graduates of Kirkwood Community College earn a median of $32,116 early in their careers. Set against $10,519 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in interior design will find it at Saint Louis Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the suburb of Bridgeton, Saint Louis Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,660 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,990. Students borrow a median of $11,424 to complete the interior design program here. Interior Design graduates of Saint Louis Community College earn a median of $25,929 early in their careers. Set against $11,424 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Century College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in interior design, landing the #4 spot this year. Century College is a large public school located in the suburb of White Bear Lake. In-state tuition and fees average $6,214. Students borrow a median of $15,000 to complete the interior design program here. Interior Design graduates of Century College earn a median of $41,814 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Des Moines Area Community College one of the best values for interior design. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,790 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,690. Students borrow a median of $13,625 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Des Moines Area Community College generally make around $25,265. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Dakota County Technical College came in at #6 for value in interior design this year. Located in the rural area of Rosemount, Dakota County Technical College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,679. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $13,474 in student loans. Interior Design graduates of Dakota County Technical College earn a median of $50,429 early in their careers. Set against $13,474 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Johnson County Community College landed the #7 spot for interior design value this year. Johnson County Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Overland Park. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,424, while out-of-state students pay about $5,688. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $13,625. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Johnson County Community College generally make around $32,030. Set against $13,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Alexandria Technical And Community College earned the #8 position for value in interior design this year. Alexandria Technical And Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Alexandria. In-state tuition and fees average $6,236. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $12,000. Interior Design graduates of Alexandria Technical And Community College earn a median of $31,830 early in their careers. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Northern Iowa earned the #9 position for value in interior design this year. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,936, compared with $21,712 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,100 to complete the interior design program here. Interior Design graduates of University Of Northern Iowa earn a median of $38,637 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Northern Iowa admits about 93% of applicants.
University Of Central Missouri came in at #10 for value in interior design this year. Located in the town of Warrensburg, University Of Central Missouri is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,050, compared with $18,600 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $25,576. Interior Design graduates of University Of Central Missouri earn a median of $33,921 early in their careers. Set against $25,576 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
Park University came in at #11 for value in interior design this year. Set in the suburb of Parkville, Park University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,116. Students borrow a median of $20,750 to complete the interior design program here. Early-career interior design graduates make about $46,340. That is a strong return on a $20,750 median debt.
North Dakota State University Main Campus earned the #12 position for value in interior design this year. Located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,910, compared with $15,564 for out-of-state students. Interior Design graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Interior Design graduates of North Dakota State University Main Campus earn a median of $41,846 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. North Dakota State University Main Campus admits about 95% of applicants.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earned the #13 position for value in interior design this year. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,214, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $24,000. Early-career interior design graduates make about $42,462. Set against $24,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Iowa State University came in at #14 for value in interior design this year. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the interior design program here. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $36,634. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
South Dakota State University placed #15 among the best values for interior design. South Dakota State University is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. Students from in state pay about $9,299 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $27,000. Early-career interior design graduates make about $35,944. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Maryville University Of Saint Louis earned the #16 position for value in interior design this year. Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Students from in state pay about $27,166 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for interior design graduates is $24,621. Soon after graduation, interior design degree recipients from Maryville University Of Saint Louis generally make around $39,623. That is a strong return on a $24,621 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Stevens Institute Of Business And Arts landed the #17 spot for interior design value this year. Located in the city of Saint Louis, Stevens Institute Of Business And Arts is a small private for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,332. Median earnings reach $29,058 ten years out. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
Dunwoody College Of Technology landed the #18 spot for interior design value this year. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Dunwoody College Of Technology is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,477. Students borrow a median of $18,973 to complete the interior design program here. Early-career interior design graduates make about $40,302. Set against $18,973 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 22 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 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.
