Best Interior Design Schools Near South Pasadena, CA (2026)

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

South Pasadena, California has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs. South Pasadena has a population of about 26,297. Median household income is $128,105 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 72.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning interior design-related role is Interior Designer at a median $80,000 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Interior Design Schools to South Pasadena

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer interior design programs near South Pasadena, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena. 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

FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Los Angeles, CA 7.4 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 19.1 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,193
Avg net price $2,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Los Angeles Mission College

Sylmar, CA 20.6 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
38.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,834
Avg net price $13,380/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 22.4 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
86.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 17

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

#5

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 23.1 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 18

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

#6

Interior Designers Institute

Newport Beach, CA 36.5 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,974
Tuition
In‑state$20,250
Out‑of‑state$20,250
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA 39.2 miles from South Pasadena
  • 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

#8

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 41.0 miles from South Pasadena
  • 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

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

Interior Design Wages Near South Pasadena

South Pasadena is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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$80,000Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$70,423
Graphic Designer$72,400Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$63,732

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.

South Pasadena at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,297Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$128,105Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+72.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other South Pasadena-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited interior design schools are near South Pasadena, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near South Pasadena. The closest is Pasadena City College in Pasadena, CA (3.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Los Angeles City College (7.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying interior design roles near South Pasadena?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near South Pasadena are: Interior Designer ($80,000), Graphic Designer ($72,400). 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 Alhambra instead of South Pasadena?

Alhambra, CA is 2.2 miles from South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena an affordable place to study interior design?

South Pasadena’s median household income of $128,105 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for South Pasadena:

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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