Interior Architecture: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Interior Architecture graduates earn a median $60,369 four years after finishing — $12,009/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 5.6 years. Federal data pools 41 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 583 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Interior Architecture ranks #105 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 49% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn University | AL | $69,657 |
| 2 | Thomas Jefferson University | PA | $68,753 |
| 3 | Syracuse University | NY | $67,227 |
| 4 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | $65,144 |
| 5 | Texas Tech University | TX | $64,751 |
| 6 | University of North Texas | TX | $64,716 |
| 7 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | NE | $62,201 |
| 8 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | CO | $61,894 |
| 9 | Mississippi State University | MS | $61,421 |
| 10 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | $61,410 |
| 11 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | TX | $61,356 |
| 12 | Stephen F Austin State University | TX | $59,047 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.