Interior Design Programs in Kansas City
Only a few schools in the Kansas City area offer programs in interior design. This article looks at two schools that are no more than 25 minutes from downtown and the programs they offer. It includes a table of information about the schools, such as tuition, enrollment, percentage of students who graduate on time and financial aid availability for first-year students. There's also a little information about one more school, more distant from downtown, with a degree program in interior design.
- About 10 miles out from downtown Kansas City is Park University. This private school has a bachelor's degree program for interior design.
- Johnson County Community College offers associate degree programs for interior design students. The college is about 14 miles away from downtown Kansas City.
Comparison of Schools
Aspiring interior design students need to consider many factors when choosing a school. This table offers data on both schools and provides a way to quickly compare them.
| Park University | Johnson County Community College | |
|---|---|---|
| School Type | 4-year university; private not-for-profit | 2-year community college; public |
| Total Enrollment (2021) | 8,782* | 16,643* |
| Campus Setting | Large suburb | Midsize city |
| Tuition & Fees (2022-2023) | $12,671* | $2,328 for in-district; $2,784 for in-state; $5,472for out-of-state* |
| % of First-Year Students Receiving Some Form of Financial Aid (2020-2021) | 94%* | 74%* |
| Acceptance Rate (2021) | N/A - open admissions* | N/A - open admissions* |
| Retention Rate (2020-2021) | 57%* | 65%* |
| Graduation Rate | 24% (Students who began in 2015)* | 26% (Students who began in 2018)* |
Source: *NCES College Navigator.
Park University
Upon graduation from the interior design program at Park, students can qualify for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) licensing examination.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design
The senior seminar requirements for the bachelor's degree program in interior design consist of two classes for the thesis, project and portfolio. Advanced interior design courses in this program go over professional practice and building construction systems. There are also several studios on office design, furniture design, visual communications and drawing systems. The history requirements for the program are broken up into two courses and examine the history of the designed environment. One course covers design in antiquity to the middle 19th century, while the other one picks up from the middle 19th century to the present.
Johnson County Community College
In addition to the standard interior design major, this school also offers degree options in interior design marketing and management and interior design kitchen and bath.
Associate of Applied Science in Interior Design
To graduate from this associate's degree program, a minimum of two internships have to be completed in order for students to advance in the creative, technical and business aspects of interior design. Asian rugs and carpets, history of Asian furniture and design, case goods and upholstered furniture are all classes typically completed in the fourth semester of the program. Before then, students learn about budgeting and estimating, professional selling, business communications, design presentation and space planning. Other courses of interest that students might consider pursuing here include elements of floral design, sustaining design, 20th-century designers and accessory fundamentals.
Other School Options
Students who are willing to go a little farther out can find an interior architecture and design bachelor's degree program at the University of Kansas, which is around 43 miles out from downtown Kansas City.
