7 Best Interior Design Schools in Riverside, CA

California Baptist University is a private Christian university located in Riverside.

It is the most direct local option for students who want a full bachelor’s degree in interior design without leaving the city.

CBU is a good fit for students who want a 4-year university environment, studio coursework, portfolio development, and a design program connected to architecture, visual arts, and design.

Programs Offered

CBU offers a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design.

The program includes interior design studios, design fundamentals, environmental design, space planning, drawing, materials, lighting, building systems, presentation methods, design history, and professional practice.

Students can expect both creative and technical coursework.

The program is more complete than a short decorating certificate because it includes studio projects, design communication, and portfolio-building assignments.

Students interested in professional certification should ask how the program supports NCIDQ exam preparation and California interior design certification requirements.

Tuition and Cost

CBU is a private university, so tuition is much higher than community college.

Undergraduate tuition and fees can be around $40,000+ per year before housing, meals, books, and supplies.

Interior design students should also budget about $1,000 to $3,000 per year for studio materials, software, laptop needs, printing, books, samples, and portfolio work.

Program Length

The BA in Interior Design is usually a 4-year program.

Riverside City College is a public community college located in Riverside.

It is not mainly a full interior design degree school, but it can be a useful local starting point for students who want lower-cost art, design, architecture-related, and visual communication coursework before transferring or entering a more specialized program.

Programs Offered

RCC offers art and design-related courses that can support interior design preparation.

Students may study drawing, 2D design, 3D design, color, composition, visual presentation, and portfolio preparation.

Some coursework connects to architecture, product design, commercial design, environmental design, and interior design concepts.

This route is best for students who want to build creative and presentation skills locally before transferring to a school with a direct interior design program, such as CBU, Chaffey College, Mt. San Antonio College, or Cal Poly Pomona.

Tuition and Cost

California community college enrollment fees are commonly about $46 per unit for California residents.

A year of full-time study may cost around $1,400 in enrollment fees before local fees, books, supplies, and transportation.

Students should budget about $300 to $1,500 per year for art supplies, drawing materials, printing, software, and portfolio preparation.

Program Length

Individual courses take 1 semester.

Transfer-focused study may take about 1 to 2 years.

Norco College is a public community college in Norco, close to Riverside.

It is one of the most practical nearby options for students who want architecture, drafting, and CAD training.

This is a better fit for students interested in floor plans, technical drawing, Revit, AutoCAD, construction documents, and design documentation.

Programs Offered

Norco College offers Architecture and Drafting Technology programs.

Students can study architectural drafting, 3D design, blueprints, construction documents, AutoCAD, Revit, building codes, project management basics, and technical drawing.

For interior design students, this can be useful because many design roles require the ability to read and prepare floor plans, furniture layouts, elevations, reflected ceiling plans, kitchen and bath drawings, and construction-related documents.

It is more technical than decorating-focused, so students who want textiles, furniture selection, color, and interior design studio work should compare it with CBU or Chaffey.

Tuition and Cost

As a California community college, Norco is usually affordable for local students.

California resident enrollment fees are commonly about $46 per unit.

A certificate may cost around $1,000 to $3,000 in enrollment fees before books, software, supplies, and campus fees.

Students should budget about $500 to $1,500 per year for software access, drafting tools, books, printing, lab fees, and computer needs.

Program Length

Certificate options may take about 1 year.

Associate degree pathways are usually about 2 years for full-time students.

Chaffey College is a public community college in Rancho Cucamonga, about 25 to 35 minutes from Riverside, depending on traffic.

It is one of the strongest nearby community college options for students who want a direct interior design program at a lower cost than a private university.

Programs Offered

Chaffey offers an Associate of Science in Interior Design and certificate options.

Students may study residential design, commercial design, color, materials, furniture, lighting, space planning, drafting, presentation methods, design history, and portfolio development.

The program is useful for students who want either entry-level design preparation or a lower-cost transfer pathway into a bachelor’s degree in interior design, interior architecture, landscape architecture, or architecture.

Tuition and Cost

California resident enrollment fees are commonly about $46 per unit.

A 60-unit associate degree may cost about $2,760 in enrollment fees before local fees, books, supplies, and materials.

Students should also budget about $500 to $2,000 per year for software, drafting tools, design samples, printing, supplies, and portfolio work.

Program Length

Certificate options may take about 1 year.

The associate degree is usually about 2 years for full-time students.

San Bernardino Valley College is a public community college in San Bernardino, about 15 to 25 minutes from Riverside.

It does not offer a traditional interior design degree, but its Architecture and Environmental Design programs are useful for students interested in sustainable spaces, housing, digital design, 3D modeling, and the built environment.

Programs Offered

SBVC offers Architecture and Environmental Design, along with a 3D Modeling and Design certificate.

Students may study sustainable design, housing, materials, construction methods, urban planning, environmental design, CAD, Rhino, Grasshopper, digital fabrication, and design presentation.

For interior design students, this route can help build technical and spatial design skills.

It is especially relevant for students interested in interior architecture, adaptive reuse, landscape-related interiors, environmental design, or digital modeling.

Tuition and Cost

California community college enrollment fees are commonly about $46 per unit.

A short certificate may cost around $1,000 to $3,000 in enrollment fees before books, supplies, software, and local fees.

Students should budget about $500 to $1,500 per year for computer needs, software, printing, models, supplies, and project materials.

Program Length

Certificate options may take about 1 year.

Associate or transfer-focused pathways usually take about 2 years.

Mt. San Antonio College is a public community college in Walnut, roughly 35 to 45 miles from Riverside.

It is farther than Norco or Chaffey, but it is one of the stronger Southern California community college options for interior design, kitchen and bath design, and professional certificates.

Programs Offered

Mt. SAC offers associate degrees in Interior Design and Kitchen and Bath, plus multiple professional certificates.

Students may study residential design, restaurant design, retail design, corporate interiors, space planning, materials, lighting, color, drafting, kitchen and bath planning, presentation methods, and portfolio development.

This is a strong option for students who want practical interior design coursework at a community college price.

Tuition and Cost

California resident enrollment fees are commonly about $46 per unit.

A certificate may cost a few thousand dollars in enrollment fees before supplies, while an associate degree may cost about $2,760 in base enrollment fees before additional expenses.

Students should budget about $500 to $2,000 per year for books, software, samples, drafting supplies, printing, and portfolio materials.

Program Length

Certificates may take about 1 year or less.

Associate degrees are usually about 2 years.

Cal Poly Pomona is a public university in Pomona, about 30 to 40 miles from Riverside.

It is most relevant for students who already have some design background or want graduate-level interior architecture training.

The program is offered online, which makes it useful for Riverside students who need flexibility.

Programs Offered

Cal Poly Pomona offers an online Master of Interior Architecture.

The program includes design studios, technical competencies, interior architecture, professional practice, design communication, and a capstone project.

It is a career-focused graduate option for working designers and career changers who want advanced interior architecture study.

Students interested in professional certification should ask how the degree supports NCIDQ exam preparation and California certification requirements.

Tuition and Cost

Graduate tuition and fees vary by program and term.

Students should expect the full program to cost several tens of thousands of dollars, depending on current tuition rates and fees.

Extra costs may include software, laptop requirements, books, printing, supplies, and portfolio or capstone materials, often around $1,000 to $3,000 across the program.

Program Length

The program is about 42 semester units and is designed to be completed in 4 semesters of full-time study.