Carol Stream, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs, with tuition ranging from $31,360 to $43,137 per year for indexed programs. Carol Stream has a population of about 39,427. Median household income is $105,395 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning interior design-related role is Interior Designer at a median $76,570 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Interior Design Schools to Carol Stream
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer interior design programs near Carol Stream, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Carol Stream 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Carol Stream.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,909
Avg net price
$7,401/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,071
Avg net price
$11,607/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
48%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,313
Avg net price
$18,558/yr
TuitionIn‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Key stats- Retention rate: 66%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,195
Avg net price
$26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 13
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,889
Avg net price
$1,672/yr
TuitionIn‑state$4,530
Out‑of‑state$13,800
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,213
Avg net price
$20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 13
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,117
Avg net price
$19,398/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,390
Avg net price
$13,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois interior design page.
Interior Design Wages Near Carol Stream
Carol Stream is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Interior Designer | $76,570 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $73,909 |
| Graphic Designer | $66,490 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $64,180 |
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.
Carol Stream at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 39,427 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $105,395 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 43.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Carol Stream-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs
- Glendale Heights, IL – 2.7 mi away (34,145 pop)
- Bloomingdale, IL – 3.0 mi away (22,075 pop)
- Hanover Park, IL – 4.5 mi away (38,044 pop)
- Wheaton, IL – 4.5 mi away (53,389 pop)
- Roselle, IL – 4.9 mi away (22,814 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited interior design schools are near Carol Stream, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near Carol Stream. The closest is College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL (6.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Judson University (12.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying interior design roles near Carol Stream?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near Carol Stream are: Interior Designer ($76,570), Graphic Designer ($66,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Glendale Heights instead of Carol Stream?
Glendale Heights, IL is 2.7 miles from Carol Stream 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 Carol Stream an affordable place to study interior design?
Carol Stream’s median household income of $105,395 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carol Stream while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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
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- Artificial Intelligence programs in Carol Stream, IL
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- Supply Chain Management programs in Carol Stream, IL
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- Public Health programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Human Resources programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Project Management programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Special Education programs in Carol Stream, IL
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- Marketing programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Finance programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Sports Management programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Biology programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Communications programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Human Services programs in Carol Stream, IL
- MBA programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Nursing programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Business Administration programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Computer Science programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Psychology programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Education programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Engineering programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Technology programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Healthcare programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Accounting programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Social Work programs in Carol Stream, IL
- Counseling programs in Carol Stream, IL
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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