---
title: Is an Interior Architecture degree worth the debt?
cip: 0405
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is an Interior Architecture degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **8** colleges (8 of 8 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $39,968 ($40,832 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $21,750 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.50× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $35,982–$43,730 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $39,968 | $21,750 | 0.50× | 8 | 8/8 |

## Where an Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| California State University-Sacramento (CA) | $44,343 | $16,500 |
| Stephen F Austin State University (TX) | $43,792 | $21,750 |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln (NE) | $43,709 | $24,250 |
| University of North Texas (TX) | $42,471 | $20,000 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LA) | $37,464 | $17,750 |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus (OH) | $36,511 | $27,000 |
| Syracuse University (NY) | $34,397 | — |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio (TX) | $34,349 | $29,650 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/interior-architecture.jsonld` · `/education/fields/interior-architecture.json`