CIDA Accreditation for the B.S. in Interior Design
The Bachelor of Science in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) since 2007. CIDA is the accrediting body for interior design education in the United States and Canada.
The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level practice, advanced study and membership in professional interior design organizations. The degree meets the educational requirement to sit for the NCIDQ Exam, the credential required for registration or licensure in many jurisdictions.
NASAD and SACSCOC
The Interior Design program also falls under High Point University’s accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
High Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and has been continuously accredited since 1951. SACSCOC has granted HPU Level V status, which authorizes a university to award doctoral degrees.
Placement and Graduate School Results
In the program’s CIDA student achievement data, 181 of the 187 Interior Design graduates who sought employment were placed. Every graduate who applied to continue their education was accepted.
CIDA-accredited programs publish verified student achievement data. HPU publishes the year-by-year report on the Interior Design program site.
Where Graduates Continue Their Study
Interior Design graduates have been accepted into graduate programs at Pratt Institute, Parsons at The New School, Washington University in St. Louis, Clemson University, North Carolina State University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ohio State University, Florida State University, the New York School of Interior Design and Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Interior Design Program Ranking
College Factual’s 2027 Best Interior Design Schools rankings place High Point University #1 in North Carolina, #4 in the Southeast and #19 in the nation out of 175 schools. The rankings weigh graduation rates, earnings after graduation, affordability and program focus.
Niche ranks High Point University #60 in its 2027 Best Colleges for Design in America list, which uses U.S. Department of Education data and student reviews.
Recognition for Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research named High Point University the recipient of its 2025 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments.
An IIDA Campus Center
HPU is one of only two International Interior Design Association Campus Centers at a private college in the Carolinas. Students join IIDA portfolio reviews and mock interviews in the Triad and Charlotte, Design Days and professional mentoring across North and South Carolina.
High Point University Rankings
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 ranks High Point University #1 for Most Innovative Schools and #3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among Regional Universities in the South. HPU also ranks #1 in its category for Earnings by Major, a new U.S. News factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition ranks High Point University #3 for Best-Run Colleges, #3 for Best College Dorms and #3 for Most Beautiful Campus. HPU is the only university in North Carolina ranked in the top 5 for all three.
Niche’s 2027 rankings place High Point University #1 in North Carolina for Best College Campuses, Best College Dorms and Best College Food, and #8 in North Carolina for Colleges with the Best Professors.
Measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers standards, 99% of HPU’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days, 13 points above the national average.
Student Honors
Interior design seniors have won the Havertys Cup, given since 1986 to an outstanding senior in HPU’s home furnishings programs, three years in a row: Anastasia Avlonitis in 2024, Amanda Nicole Warren in 2025 and Anneliese Fullerton in 2026. Warren was also one of four students chosen to represent HPU in the 2024 Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition.
Stephanie Warnica won third place in the American Society of Interior Designers’ national Otto Zenke Awards, and Emma Lupo was named a semifinalist in the ASID student competition. Arianna Repack won the $5,000 Broyhill Family Foundation Scholarship at the Bienenstock Furniture Library’s Future Designers Summit, and Mary Kate Hewitt was named a Rising Star by the International Furniture Design Association’s Carolinas Chapter.
Shannon Spilman was published in Coastal Style magazine as a senior. Jasmine Bennett and her teammate took second place and $5,000 at HPU’s Elevator Pitch Competition for Reach the Bar, a gym accessory that helps shorter people use weight equipment.
Faculty Recognition
Dr. John Turpin, dean of the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design and professor of interior design, is a Fellow of the Interior Design Educators Council and a founding editor of the journal Interiors: Design, Architecture, Culture.
Dr. Jane Nichols is chair and Luke Family Endowed Professor of Interior Design. Graduates such as Abigail Peterson name her as their most impactful mentor.
Designers on Campus
Students connect with industry leaders on campus and at the High Point Market, including Joanna Gaines, Thom Filicia and Charlotte Moss. Designer Alexander Julian mentors students as HPU’s Fashion, Furniture, Textile Designer and Entrepreneur in Residence.
What Interior Design Graduates Say About the Program
Interior Design graduates describe the mentors and moments that prepared them for their careers.
Raegan Lowder
Interior Design major · Interior Design Consultant, Restoration Hardware
“My most impactful mentor at HPU was Mr. Linn, who taught me during my first two years in the Interior Design program and also served as my advisor. He was always incredibly encouraging and reminded our class that we were here for a reason, which gave me a strong sense of purpose and confidence early on in my college journey.”
Abigail Peterson
Interior Design major · Interior Design Assistant, Meredith Ellis Design
“My most impactful moment at HPU was working on my senior capstone project. I worked with a team of fellow interior design students to create a project that applies to my career, and I learned a lot of life lessons along the way. This project set me up for a successful career.”
Skylar Hendrick
Interior Design major · Design Consultant, RH Interior Design
“My most impactful moment thus far at HPU has been the design panel discussion, which featured famous designers such as Libby Langdon, Patti Carpenter and Thom Filicia. Being able to interact with designers at the top of their craft and gain insight was invaluable and inspiring.”
Interior Design in the News
HPU Interior Design Student Awarded 2026 Havertys Cup
Anneliese Fullerton, a High Point University senior majoring in interior design, was honored as the 2026 recipient of the Havertys Cup. She received a $3,000 award and a personal replica of the Havertys Cup. The Havertys Cup was established in 1986 by the late Rawson Haverty to honor annually an outstanding senior in one of HPU’s home furnishings programs.
Stephanie Warnica
HPU Awards and Honors: March 2026
Stephanie Warnica, a junior interior design major, recently won an Otto Zenke Award from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for her student project. She won third place honors for her thoughtfully designed interior space that emphasized functionality, aesthetics and user experience.
Arianna Repack
Awards and Honors: October 2024
Six HPU interior design students were among 34 students from 12 colleges and universities who were invited to attend the Bienenstock Furniture Library’s fourth annual Future Designers Summit, held Sept. 11-13. At the event’s end, Arianna Repack, a junior interior design major from Columbus, New Jersey, was awarded the $5,000 Broyhill Family Foundation Scholarship for interior design.
Mary Kate Hewitt
Awards and Honors: December
HPU seniors Mary Kate Hewitt and Paige Hoyt were recognized as Rising Stars by the International Furniture Design Association (IFDA) Carolinas Chapter on Nov. 21. Hewitt and Hoyt were selected by the department faculty members who believe they exemplify high levels of talent and dedication and have proven themselves to be among the top interior design and visual merchandising design majors.
Amanda Nicole Warren
HPU Interior Design Student Awarded 2025 Havertys Cup
“But for the Havertys Cup, we choose our best senior who consistently is at the top of the class year after year. That describes Amanda perfectly.”
Emma Lupo
Awards and Honors: April 2025
Emma Lupo, a senior interior design major, was recently named as a semifinalist in the American Society of Interior Designers’ (ASID) student competition. Her portfolio was reviewed by professionals.
Explore Interior Design at High Point University
See the courses interior design majors take and where HPU interior design graduates go next.
Curriculum & Research Careers & Student Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Jane Nichols, program coordinator for Interior Design, at [email protected].