Des Plaines, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs. Des Plaines has a population of about 59,408. Median household income is $94,303 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.7% 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 Des Plaines
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer interior design programs near Des Plaines, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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
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
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 Des Plaines
Des Plaines 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.
Des Plaines at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 59,408 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $94,303 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 38.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Des Plaines-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs
- Mount Prospect, IL – 2.8 mi away (54,171 pop)
- Park Ridge, IL – 3.3 mi away (37,496 pop)
- Niles, IL – 4.7 mi away (29,617 pop)
- Elk Grove Village, IL – 5.1 mi away (32,931 pop)
- Glenview, IL – 5.3 mi away (47,475 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited interior design schools are near Des Plaines, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near Des Plaines. The closest is Oakton College in Des Plaines, IL (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of DuPage (15.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying interior design roles near Des Plaines?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near Des Plaines 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 Mount Prospect instead of Des Plaines?
Mount Prospect, IL is 2.8 miles from Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines an affordable place to study interior design?
Des Plaines’s median household income of $94,303 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Des Plaines 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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- Marketing programs in Des Plaines, IL
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- Kinesiology programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Sports Management programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Biology programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Communications programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Human Services programs in Des Plaines, IL
- MBA programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Nursing programs in Des Plaines, IL
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- Education programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Engineering programs in Des Plaines, IL
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- Accounting programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Social Work programs in Des Plaines, IL
- Counseling programs in Des Plaines, 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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