Interior Design and Pre-Architecture Program Retention and Outcomes
By the Numbers
- 82% of graduates in the Class of 2025 are employed within six months in interior design or attending graduate school for architecture.
- 74% first-year retention rate (Class of 2028)
- 73% four-year graduation rate (Class of 2024)
- Graduates are highly sought after in the interior design industry at firms including Amenta Emma, Vivo Architecture, FCA Architects, and Workshop/APD as well as major corporations including Hilton, Serena & Lily and ESPN.
- Graduates also decide to continue their education in master’s degree programs at institutions such as Columbia University, Louisiana State University, University of Michigan, Florida International University, University of Hartford, and Rochester Institute of Technology.
- It typically takes a full-time student taking approximately 15 credits per semester four years to complete the bachelor’s degree program.
| Incoming Class | Students | Retained 2nd Year |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2017 | 14 | 10 (71.4%) |
| Fall 2018 | 16 | 15 (93.8%) |
| Fall 2019 | 19 | 14 (73.7%) |
| Fall 2020 | 11 | 8 (72.7%) |
| Fall 2021 | 17 | 14 (82.4%) |
| Fall 2022 | 21 | 19 (90.9%) |
| Fall 2023 | 26 | 23 (88.5%) |
| Fall 2024 | 40 | 30 (75%) |
Note: data does not include transfer, part-time, or change-of-major students.
| Incoming Class | Students | Graduated in 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2014 | 7 | 5 (71.4%) |
| Fall 2015 | 7 | 4 (57.1%) |
| Fall 2016 | 14 | 9 (64.3%) |
| Fall 2017 | 14 | 3 (21.4%) |
| Fall 2018 | 16 | 11 (68.8%) |
| Fall 2019 | 19 | 10 (52.6%) |
| Fall 2020 | 11 | 8 (72.7%) |
Note: data does not include transfer, part-time, or change-of-major students.
| 2016∗ | 2017∗ | 2018∗ | 2019∗ | 2020∗∗ | 2021∗∗ | 2022∗∗ | 2023∗∗ | 2024∗∗ | 2025∗∗ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attending Graduate School | 10.00% | 16.67% | 0.00% | No Data | 15% | 0.00% | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 18% |
| Working in Field of Study | 88.89% | 100% | 77.78% | No Data | 54% | 60% | 89% | 94% | 86% | 64% |
∗ — Data collected one year from graduation.
∗∗ — Data collected 6 months from graduation.
Methodology
In accordance with the National Association of Colleges and Employers Standards and Protocols for First Destination Surveys, the University of New Haven uses a two-phase methodology to ascertain the employment and advanced education outcomes of each graduating class. The annual outcomes project is administered every summer to graduating classes at the six-month out timeframe.
The two-part methodology included:
- Online survey created by the University’s Career Development Center and Office of Academic Assessment is integrated into Commencement registration software for all graduates to complete;
- Information is collected from various online sources and internal databases such as LiveAlumni, Handshake, University Immigration Services, and public information websites to locate employment and advanced education outcomes of targeted graduates who did not complete the online survey.