7 Best Interior Design Schools in Sacramento, CA

California State University, Sacramento is a public university located in Sacramento.

It is the strongest local option for students who want a full bachelor’s degree connected to interior design and interior architecture.

The program is a good fit for students who want studio work, design theory, technical drawing, digital tools, portfolio development, and a university-level design education.

Programs Offered

Sacramento State offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture.

The program is designed for students preparing for professional work as interior designers or interior architects.

Students study interior design studios, space planning, design communication, materials, lighting, building systems, sustainability, construction documents, professional practice, and design history.

The program is more complete than a short decorating course because it includes both creative and technical training.

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

Tuition and Cost

As a CSU campus, Sacramento State is generally more affordable for California residents than private design schools.

Full-time California resident students should expect tuition and mandatory fees to cost several thousand dollars per semester, while nonresident students pay more.

Interior architecture students should also budget about $1,000 to $3,000 per year for software, laptop needs, studio supplies, printing, books, samples, models, and portfolio development.

Program Length

The BFA in Interior Architecture is usually a 4-year program.

American River College is a public community college in Sacramento and part of the Los Rios Community College District.

It is one of the most practical and affordable local options for students who want a direct interior design program without starting at a 4-year university.

ARC is a good fit for beginners who want hands-on coursework, lower tuition, and a flexible path toward a certificate or associate degree.

Programs Offered

American River College offers Interior Design programs, including an associate degree and certificate options.

Students may study beginning interior design studio, space planning, color, materials, furniture, lighting, drafting, design presentation, estimating, residential design, and professional practices.

The program is useful for students who want practical interior design skills and portfolio-building assignments.

It can also work well for students who want to start with a community college pathway before transferring or entering entry-level design support work.

Tuition and Cost

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

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

Students should budget about $500 to $2,000 per year for textbooks, drafting tools, design samples, software access, printing, project materials, and portfolio development.

Program Length

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

Certificate options may take about 1 year, depending on course load and scheduling.

Sacramento City College is a public community college located in Sacramento and part of the Los Rios District.

It does not operate as a full traditional interior design school, but its engineering design technology program is very useful for students interested in the technical side of interiors, architecture, drafting, and construction drawings.

Programs Offered

Sacramento City College offers Engineering Design Technology with architectural and structural design options.

Students can study building design and drafting, residential and commercial building documentation, AutoCAD, Revit, CREO, mechanical drafting, electrical drafting, plumbing drafting, and technical drawing.

For interior design students, this route can help with floor plans, elevations, reflected ceiling plans, furniture layouts, millwork drawings, kitchen and bath plans, and construction document support.

It is more drafting-focused than furniture or decorating-focused.

Tuition and Cost

As a California community college, Sacramento City College is one of the lower-cost options in the area.

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

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

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

Program Length

Certificate options may take about 1 year.

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

Cosumnes River College is a public community college in Sacramento and another Los Rios campus.

It is a strong option for students who want building design, BIM, and CAD training that can support interior design work.

This school may be especially useful for students interested in sustainable building design, Revit, building systems, and architectural documentation.

Programs Offered

Cosumnes River College offers Architecture Design Technology programs, including Building Information Modeling.

Students learn Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, BIM, architectural building space, interior space analysis, materials selection, energy conservation, sustainable building concepts, and Green Building or LEED-related principles.

For interior design students, BIM and CADD skills are useful for understanding how interior spaces fit inside larger building systems.

This route is more technical and architecture-focused than a standard interior decorating program.

Tuition and Cost

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

A certificate or associate pathway may cost a few thousand dollars in base enrollment fees before books, software, supplies, and technology costs.

Students should budget about $500 to $1,500 per year for software access, drafting supplies, books, printing, model materials, and computer needs.

Program Length

Certificate options may take about 1 year.

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

Folsom Lake College is a public community college northeast of Sacramento and part of the Los Rios District.

It is not a direct interior design degree school, but it can be useful for students who want CAD, digital design, technical drawing, and fabrication-related skills close to Sacramento.

Programs Offered

Folsom Lake College offers CAD and design-related technical coursework, including CAD/CAM programming.

Students may study computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, drafting concepts, technical drawings, digital modeling, and software-based design workflows.

For interior design students, this route is most useful as a technical supplement.

CAD skills can support furniture layouts, custom built-ins, cabinet details, fixture planning, and communication with contractors or fabricators.

Tuition and Cost

As a California community college, Folsom Lake College is generally affordable for local students.

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

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

Students should budget about $500 to $1,500 for software access, books, printing, lab fees, and a computer that can handle design software.

Program Length

Certificate options may take about 1 year or less.

Individual courses usually take 1 semester.

UC Davis is a public research university located about 20 minutes west of Sacramento.

It does not offer a standard interior design degree, but it is relevant for students who want a broader design education, sustainable environmental design, or a transfer pathway connected to planning, human-centered design, and the built environment.

Programs Offered

UC Davis offers a Design major and a Sustainable Environmental Design major.

Students may study visual communication, design thinking, product design, environmental design, planning, sustainability, digital tools, materials, and human-centered problem solving.

This is not the same as an interiors-specific degree.

Students who want a direct interior design curriculum with lighting, textiles, furniture, codes, and interior studios should compare UC Davis carefully with Sacramento State or American River College.

Tuition and Cost

As a UC campus, UC Davis is usually more expensive than community college, especially for students who live on campus.

California residents should expect tuition and fees to cost several thousand dollars per quarter, while nonresidents pay more.

Design students should also budget about $500 to $2,500 per year for software, supplies, printing, materials, books, and portfolio work.

Program Length

Bachelor’s degree programs are usually about 4 years.

Sierra College is a public community college in Rocklin, northeast of Sacramento.

It is not a full interior design degree destination, but it can be useful for students who want affordable design foundations, applied art, digital media, and short interior design-related online courses.

Programs Offered

Sierra College offers Applied Art and Design programs that can help students build skills in design principles, digital imaging, computer graphics, portfolio development, and visual communication.

It also offers short online Interior Design Basics coursework through community education.

For interior design students, Sierra is best used as a foundation or exploration option.

Students can build creative skills locally before transferring or moving into a more direct interiors program.

Tuition and Cost

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

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

Short online interior design courses may cost around $100 to a few hundred dollars.

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

Program Length

Short online courses may take about 6 weeks.

Certificate or transfer-focused study may take about 1 to 2 years.