Merrillville, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs. Merrillville has a population of about 36,343. Median household income is $64,791 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.2% 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 Merrillville
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer interior design programs near Merrillville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Merrillville 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 Merrillville.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,424
Avg net price
$14,600/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 37
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
84%
Graduation rate
34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,872
Avg net price
$13,171/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,532
Out‑of‑state$22,887
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 22
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$37,186
Avg net price
$7,258/yr
TuitionIn‑state$5,154
Out‑of‑state$9,935
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
76%
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,198
Avg net price
$11,668/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,762
Out‑of‑state$34,891
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,833
Avg net price
$14,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 23
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana interior design page.
Interior Design Wages Near Merrillville
Merrillville 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 Indiana 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.
Merrillville at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 36,343 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $64,791 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 25.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Merrillville-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs
- Hobart, IN – 3.7 mi away (28,248 pop)
- Crown Point, IN – 4.3 mi away (29,176 pop)
- Schererville, IN – 6.5 mi away (28,701 pop)
- Gary, IN – 8.3 mi away (76,424 pop)
- Highland, IN – 8.9 mi away (22,737 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited interior design schools are near Merrillville, IN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near Merrillville. The closest is Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL (16.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbia College Chicago (31.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying interior design roles near Merrillville?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near Merrillville are: Interior Designer ($76,570), Graphic Designer ($66,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Hobart instead of Merrillville?
Hobart, IN is 3.7 miles from Merrillville 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 Merrillville an affordable place to study interior design?
Merrillville’s median household income of $64,791 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Merrillville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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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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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