Most full-time students graduate with the BFA degree in four years. The following data were collected using university surveys with the graduating classes from May 2018, 2019, and 2020 and self-reported employment data on LinkedIn.com.

Student Achievement Data

Graduation Rates

Of the students graduating in 2020, 100% graduated within 4 years.

Student Attrition and Retention

90% of students admitted into the professional program (post-portfolio review) in the spring of 2019 returned for their final semester in the spring of 2021.
94% of students admitted into the professional program (post-portfolio review) in the spring of 2018 returned for their final semester in the spring of 2020.
92% of students admitted into the professional program (post-portfolio review) in the spring of 2017 returned for their final semester in the spring of 2019.

Acceptance into Graduate Programs

3 students who graduated in 2019 applied for and were accepted into graduate programs.
3 students who graduated in 2020 applied for graduate programs; at least 2 were accepted.

Job Placement Rates

70% of students who graduated in 2020 are currently employed in interior design or a related profession.
81% of students who graduated in 2019 are currently employed in interior design or a related profession.
100% of students who graduated in 2018 are currently employed.

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

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.