Best Interior Design Schools Near San Mateo, CA (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

San Mateo, California has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs. San Mateo has a population of about 103,555. Median household income is $152,669 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning interior design-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $92,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Interior Design Schools to San Mateo

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer interior design programs near San Mateo, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from San Mateo city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from San Mateo. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 14.9 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 28.0 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 48.4 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 71.6 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA 85.1 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
81.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,876
Avg net price $9,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 150.5 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 297.1 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA 304.2 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,526
Avg net price $3,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California interior design page.

Interior Design Wages Near San Mateo

San Mateo is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Interior Designer$87,460San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$75,657
Graphic Designer$92,050San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$79,628

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

San Mateo at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population103,555Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$152,669Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+57.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other San Mateo-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited interior design schools are near San Mateo, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near San Mateo. The closest is College of San Mateo in San Mateo, CA (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Francisco State University (14.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying interior design roles near San Mateo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near San Mateo are: Graphic Designer ($92,050), Interior Designer ($87,460). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Foster City instead of San Mateo?

Foster City, CA is 2.5 miles from San Mateo and has its own set of local interior design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is San Mateo an affordable place to study interior design?

San Mateo’s median household income of $152,669 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Mateo while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Interior Design Programs

Other Programs Available in San Mateo

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for San Mateo:

Data verified: August 25, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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