Best Interior Design Schools Near Gastonia, NC (2026)

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

Gastonia, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs. Gastonia has a population of about 81,632. Median household income is $60,554 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning interior design-related role is Interior Designer at a median $64,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Interior Design Schools to Gastonia

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

Queens University of Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 20.3 miles from Gastonia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
55.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,673
Avg net price $30,857/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 71.9 miles from Gastonia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Salem College

Winston-Salem, NC 78.5 miles from Gastonia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,640
Avg net price $18,277/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

High Point University

High Point, NC 83.5 miles from Gastonia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,389
Avg net price $38,707/yr
Tuition
In‑state$45,312
Out‑of‑state$45,312
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 95.6 miles from Gastonia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,160
Avg net price $10,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC 113.6 miles from Gastonia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,458
Avg net price $13,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 145.4 miles from Gastonia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 216.3 miles from Gastonia
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Interior Design Wages Near Gastonia

Gastonia is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Interior Designer$64,370Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$66,156
Graphic Designer$59,810Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$61,470

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.

Gastonia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population81,632Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,554Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Gastonia-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited interior design schools are near Gastonia, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near Gastonia. The closest is Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC (20.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Converse University (46.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near Gastonia are: Interior Designer ($64,370), Graphic Designer ($59,810). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lincolnton instead of Gastonia?

Lincolnton, NC is 15.8 miles from Gastonia 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 Gastonia an affordable place to study interior design?

Gastonia’s median household income of $60,554 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gastonia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Gastonia

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

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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