Best Interior Design Schools Near Wilmette, IL (2026)

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

Wilmette, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs. Wilmette has a population of about 27,550. Median household income is $192,300 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 84.6% 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 Wilmette

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

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 15.0 miles from Wilmette
  • 4 year
24.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,195
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, IL 17.6 miles from Wilmette
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,071
Avg net price $11,607/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL 23.9 miles from Wilmette
  • 2 year
47.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,909
Avg net price $7,401/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Judson University

Elgin, IL 28.9 miles from Wilmette
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
52.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 48%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,313
Avg net price $18,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, IL 46.5 miles from Wilmette
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
55.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,889
Avg net price $1,672/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,530
Out‑of‑state$13,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL 64.3 miles from Wilmette
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,213
Avg net price $20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 126.6 miles from Wilmette
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
71.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,117
Avg net price $19,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL 311.8 miles from Wilmette
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,390
Avg net price $13,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Interior Design Wages Near Wilmette

Wilmette 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Interior Designer$76,570Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$73,909
Graphic Designer$66,490Chicago-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.

Wilmette at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,550Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$192,300Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+84.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilmette-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited interior design schools are near Wilmette, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near Wilmette. The closest is Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, IL (6.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DePaul University (14.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying interior design roles near Wilmette?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near Wilmette 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 Evanston instead of Wilmette?

Evanston, IL is 2.7 miles from Wilmette 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 Wilmette an affordable place to study interior design?

Wilmette’s median household income of $192,300 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmette 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

Other Programs Available in Wilmette

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

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.

Back to Best Interior Design Schools in Illinois (2026)