Interior Architecture at California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento State's Interior Architecture program is one of the strongest value propositions you'll find in this field. At $50,108 starting out, graduates earn 12% above the national median for interior architecture programs, placing them in the 95th percentile nationally. Even more impressive: they're doing this with just $16,500 in debt—nearly $7,000 below the national median and among the lowest debt loads in the country for this major.

The numbers get better over time. Four years out, earnings climb to $56,590, showing 13% growth while most interior architecture programs see graduates plateau quickly. That modest debt means graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.33, so they're earning three times what they owe—a manageable burden that leaves room for building savings or making career moves without financial panic. With California's only other interior architecture program producing identical outcomes, Sacramento State is sharing the top spot in the state by default, but the national comparison makes clear this isn't just local success.

The program's 94% admission rate and 49% Pell grant population suggest Sacramento State is making this strong outcome accessible to a broad range of students, not just selective admits. For an anxious parent, this is straightforward: competitive earnings with minimal debt from an affordable CSU school.