Best Interior Design Schools Near Kingsport, TN (2026)

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

Kingsport, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs. Kingsport has a population of about 55,807. Median household income is $50,436 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning interior design-related role is Interior Designer at a median $63,660 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Interior Design Schools to Kingsport

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

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 18.0 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, TN 59.4 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
48.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,382
Avg net price $20,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,700
Out‑of‑state$34,700
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 12

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

#3

Pellissippi State Community College

Knoxville, TN 77.7 miles from Kingsport
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,440
Avg net price $4,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 86.4 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 184.9 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,151
Avg net price $14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 217.8 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 238.1 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
61.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,930
Avg net price $33,147/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,540
Out‑of‑state$42,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 18

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

#8

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN 425.2 miles from Kingsport
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,458
Avg net price $12,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Interior Design Wages Near Kingsport

Kingsport is part of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area (BLS area code 28700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Interior Designer$63,660TN statewide$73,681
Graphic Designer$49,570Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$57,373

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.

Kingsport at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population55,807Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$50,436Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Kingsport-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited interior design schools are near Kingsport, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near Kingsport. The closest is East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN (18.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southwest Virginia Community College (58.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near Kingsport are: Interior Designer ($63,660), Graphic Designer ($49,570). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Johnson City instead of Kingsport?

Johnson City, TN is 15.5 miles from Kingsport 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 Kingsport an affordable place to study interior design?

Kingsport’s median household income of $50,436 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kingsport while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Kingsport

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

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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