Employment | Purdue West Lafayette's Interior Design Program
Student Achievement Data
The following data was collected using institutional records.
Student Attrition and Retention
91.3% of students enrolled in the fall of 2020 returned in the fall of 2021, putting attrition at 8.7%.
87% of students enrolled in the fall of 2021 returned in the fall of 2022, putting attrition at 13%.
Graduation Rates
Of the students graduating in 2022, 100% graduated within 4 years.
The following data were collected using alumni surveys administered at the time of graduation and again 4 months after graduation. Additionally, updates were received through personal communication and social media connections with Faculty.
Acceptance into Graduate Programs
2 out of 20 students who graduated in 2021 applied for graduate school, and 2 were accepted.
2 out of 19 students who graduated in 2022 applied for graduate school, and 2 were accepted.
Job Placement Rates
16 of 18 known students who graduated in 2021, and not going to graduate school, were employed in interior design by September 1st.
14 of 16 known students who graduated in 2022, and not going to graduate school, were employed in interior design by September 1st.
Places of Employment
Below is a sampling of firms that have hired our recent graduates:
HOK, San Francisco
Perkins + Will, Chicago
Gensler, Hong Kong
Rowland Design, Indianapolis
Callison, Seattle
Gary Lee, Chicago
Carson Design Associates, Indianapolis
SMMA, Cambridge
Ware Malcomb, Chicago
VStarr Interiors, West Palm Beach
Delv, Indianapolis
Mary Cook Associates, Chicago
Power Design, Tampa
Snaidero, Chicago
K4 Architecture, Cincinnati
Ideation Studio, Chicago
IDO, Indianapolis
HKS, Richmond
Davis Wince Ltd Architecture, Denver
Tricarico Architecture and Design, Wayne NJ
Sink Combs Dethlefs, Denver
PDMS Design Group, Dallas
HKS, Chicago
HKS, Detroit
Internship Opportunities
Interior Design students are required to complete a minimum of one internship under the guidance of a professional interior designer, but may complete more. In addition to interior design internships, many students participate in a broad range of other kinds of internship opportunities offered on the Purdue campus, providing additional invaluable networking platforms. Resources include:
Purdue Center for Career Opportunity (CCO)
Purdue Center For Career Opportunities - This portal offers Purdue students the opportunity to find internships and jobs via its network. Companies can sign up to recruit Purdue students.
Purdue Office of Professional Practice (OPP)
The Office of Professional Practice provides students with professional work and research experiences alongside their world-class Purdue education.
Margo Katherine Wilke Undergraduate Research Internship
The program provides opportunities for students to work with faculty in the College of Liberal Arts on cutting-edge research projects in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Job-Ready Internship Fund
Job-Ready objectives will be: (1) To provide employers with access to CLA students’ unique skills; (2) To encourage CLA students to pursue summer internships and to make unpaid and low-paid internships a viable option for more students; and (3) To enrich CLA students’ understanding of relevant issues and opportunities to be a force for good in their lives after graduation.
City Internships
City Internships provides immersive career training programs for college students and recent graduates. They’re designed to expand your horizons and get you job-ready. For each program, on top of hard and soft skill building at weekly career seminars, workshops and networking events, you’ll undertake an internship placement at one of our partner companies. You’ll develop real-world skills, build your professional network, and fast-track your career.