30 Best Colleges for Industrial Design & Product Design – 2024

April 24, 2024

best colleges for industrial design and product design

The industrial and product design major is a program in the applied visual arts that blends artistic skill with an understanding of commercial products and markets. Students in this major take courses in graphic design, digital design, and computer imaging as well as some crossover into the realms of manufacturing and engineering. Those with bachelor’s degrees in this area head into careers in advertising, graphic design, and product management in industries that run the gamut from toys to furniture to automobiles. All of College Transitions’ Best Colleges for Industrial Design and Product Design are found within large public or private research universities. Whether you attend a state institution like Ohio State or Iowa State or a highly-selective private university like Stanford or Carnegie Mellon, a degree in this field can lead to any number of rewarding careers.

Methodology 

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for Industrial Design & Product Design.

Best Colleges for Industrial Design & Product Design

Here’s a quick preview of the first ten Industrial Design & Product Design institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) Carnegie Mellon University

2) Georgia Institute of Technology

3) Stanford University

4) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5) Virginia Tech

6) North Carolina State University

7) Clemson University

8) Purdue University-Main Campus

9) University of Washington-Seattle

10) Ohio State University

All of the schools profiled below have stellar reputations in the area of Industrial Design & Product Design and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the best Industrial Design & Product Design Colleges, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—the university’s:

  • Enrollment
  • Cost of Attendance
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Median SAT
  • Median ACT
  • Retention Rate
  • Graduation Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

  • Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
  • Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.
#1 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

  • Pittsburgh, PA

Academic Highlights: There are a combined 80+ undergraduate majors and 90 minors available across the six schools. Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with 36% containing single digits. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (21%), computer science (16%), mathematics (12%), business (10%), and visual and performing arts (9%).

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 66% of 2022 grads were employed, and 28% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, McKinsey, and Deloitte. With an average starting salary of $105,194, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally. Of those pursuing graduate education, around 20% typically enroll immediately in PhD programs.

  • Enrollment: 7,509
  • Cost of Attendance: $84,412
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%

#2 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Atlanta, GA

Academic Highlights: Georgia Tech’s engineering and computer science programs are at the top of any “best programs” list. Being a large research university, the student-to-faculty ratio is a less-than-ideal 22:1, leading to some larger undergraduate class sections. In fact, 49% of courses had enrollments of more than thirty students in 2022-23. On the other end of the spectrum, 8% of sections had single-digit enrollments. In terms of total number of degrees conferred, the most popular areas of study are engineering (51%), computer science (21%), and business (9%).

Professional Outcomes: More than three-quarters of recent grads had already procured employment by the time they were handed their diplomas. You will find graduates at every major technology company in the world. The median salary reported by that group was $80,000. Many remain on campus to earn advanced engineering degrees through Georgia Tech, but the school’s reputation is such that gaining admission into other top programs including MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley, Stanford, and Caltech.

  • Enrollment: 18,416
  • Cost of Attendance: $29,950 (In-State); $52,120 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1470
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 17%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#3 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Stanford University

Stanford University

  • Palo Alto, CA

Academic Highlights: Stanford has three undergraduate schools: the School of Humanities & Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences. 69% of classes have fewer than twenty students, and 34% have a single-digit enrollment. Programs in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, international relations, and economics are arguably the best anywhere. In terms of sheer volume, the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (17%), computer science (16%), engineering (15%), and interdisciplinary studies (13%).

Professional Outcomes: Stanford grads entering the working world flock to three major industries in equal distribution: business/finance/consulting/retail (19%); computer, IT (19%); and public policy and service, international affairs (19%). Among the companies employing the largest number of recent grads are Accenture, Apple, Bain, Cisco, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, Microsoft, and SpaceX. Other companies that employ hundreds of Cardinal alums include LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Airbnb. Starting salaries for Stanford grads are among the highest in the country.

 

  • Enrollment: 8,049 (undergraduate); 10,236 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,833
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 4%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#4 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Champaign-Urbana, IL

Academic Highlights: Eight of UIUC’s fifteen schools cater to undergraduate students. There are 150 academic programs offered, including those at the acclaimed Grainger College of Engineering and Gies College of Business. In sheer volume of degrees conferred, engineering and business/marketing are tied at 19%, followed by the social sciences (9%) and psychology (6%). 39% of sections are capped at 19 students. 29% of undergraduates work with a faculty member on a research project; another 22% have some type of fieldwork, practicum, or clinical experience.

Professional Outcomes: 95% of the members of the Class of 2022 landed at their next destination within six months of graduation, with 38% matriculating directly into an advanced degree program. 57% were employed full-time; the most popular sectors were finance, consulting, healthcare, electronics, and education. Corporations landing the most recent Illini grads were KPMG, Deloitte, Epic Systems, EY, PwC, and Amazon. The average salary across all Class of 2022 majors was an extremely solid $75,000.

  • Enrollment: 35,120 (undergraduate); 21,796 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,926-$41,190 (in-state); $55,386-$63,290 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 79%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#5 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

  • Blacksburg, VA

Academic Highlights: Eight undergraduate colleges that offer 110+ distinct bachelor’s degrees are housed within Virginia Tech. 33% of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 21% of recent graduates report participating in some type of undergraduate research experience. Engineering is the area where the greatest number of degrees are conferred (23%), but business (20%) is a close second. Both disciplines are among the most respected at Tech, along with computer science. Other popular majors include the family and consumer sciences (8%), social sciences (8%), biology (8%), and agriculture (4%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 56% of the Class of 2022 were employed and 18% were in graduate school. One recent class sent large numbers to major corporations that included Deloitte (67), KPMG (44), Lockheed Martin (39), Capital One (30), EY (28), Booz Allen Hamilton (18), and Northrop Grumman (12). The median salary for 2022 graduates was $67,000. Among recent grads who decided to pursue an advanced degree, the greatest number stayed at VT, while others enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, William & Mary, Columbia, Duke, and Georgia Tech.

  • Enrollment: 30,434 (undergraduate); 7,736 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $37,252 (in-state); $58,750 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1330
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 57%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

#6 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University

  • Raleigh, NC

Academic Highlights: NC State offers more than 100 majors and 120 minors. 64% of sections enroll 29 or fewer students. Engineering is the most popular area of concentration as 24% of Class of 2022 graduates earned a degree in that field. Business/marketing comes in second at 17% followed by biology (10%) and agriculture (7%). NC State has an exceptional regional reputation and an expanding national one with the College of Engineering near the top of many rankings. Programs in design, architecture, and animal science are also very strong.

Professional Outcomes: 54% of students graduating in 2022 had already accepted full-time jobs before exiting; 27% were heading to graduate/professional school. Members of that class reported an average starting salary of $62,024 (with a slightly higher median). Including all graduating years, the companies employing the largest number of alumni are Cisco, Red Hat, SAS, IBM, Lenovo, Amazon, Microsoft, Intel, Google, Deloitte, Facebook, and Salesforce. Many recent grads also work for the university itself and for the Wake County Public School System.

  • Enrollment: 26,254 (undergraduate); 10,446 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,451 (in-state); $51,662 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1340
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 47%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 86%

#7 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Clemson University

Clemson University

  • Clemson, SC

Academic Highlights: There are seven undergraduate colleges within the larger university. Class sizes are mixed, and many sections are smaller than you would expect for such a large university where the student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1. Fifteen percent of classes have single-digit enrollments, and 55% contain fewer than 30 students. Business and engineering also the most popular majors with a 21% and 18% market share of diplomas, respectively. The next most frequently conferred degrees are in biology (9%), the social sciences (7%), and health professions (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 92% of 2022 grads had already entered the working world or were pursuing a graduate degree. The top employers of newly-minted diploma holders include Michelin, Amazon, Vanguard, and Wells Fargo. Computing and Applied Sciences reported a median starting salary of $62,000. College of Business graduates enjoyed median earnings of $60,000. Of the 19% of recent graduates directly entering grad school, the largest number retained their Tiger stripes by continuing their studies at Clemson.

  • Enrollment: 22,566
  • Cost of Attendance:
  • Median SAT: 1310
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#8 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Purdue University — West Lafayette

Purdue University — West Lafayette

  • West Lafayette, IN

Academic Highlights: Purdue offers over 200 majors at ten discipline-specific colleges, and 38% of course sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer. Engineering and engineering technologies majors earn 34% of the degrees conferred by the university; the College of Engineering cracks the top ten on almost every list of best engineering schools. The Krannert School of Management is also well-regarded by employers; 11% of degrees conferred are in business. Other popular majors include computer science (10%) and agriculture (5%)—both are incredibly strong.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after receiving their diplomas, 70% of 2022 grads headed to the world of employment while 24% headed to graduate/professional school. The top industries entered by grads in recent years are (1) health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices; (2) finance, insurance, and consulting; (3) manufacturing and machinery; (4) airline, aviation, and aerospace. Companies employing the greatest number of recent alumni were Amazon, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Labcorp, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft. The average starting salary was $68k across all degree programs.

  • Enrollment: 37,949 (undergraduate); 12,935 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $22,812 (in-state); $41,614 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1330
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 53%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#9 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
University of Washington – Seattle

University of Washington – Seattle

  • Seattle, WA

Academic Highlights: 180+ undergraduate majors are offered across thirteen colleges/schools. Personal connections with professors abound as 55% of grads complete a faculty-mentored research project. The College of Engineering, which includes the College of Computer Science & Engineering, is one of the best in the nation; UW also boasts strong programs in everything from business to social work to environmental science. The most popular degrees are the social sciences (13%), biology (12%), computer science (11%), and business (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Within months of graduation, 73% of Class of 2022 grads were employed and 17% were continuing their education. The most popular employers of the Class of 2022 included Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and KPMG. Across all living alumni, 6,000+ work for Microsoft, and 4000+ work for each of Boeing and Amazon. Of those headed to graduate/professional school, just over half remain in state, mostly at UW itself. Large numbers of 2022 grads also headed to Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and USC.

  • Enrollment: 36,872 (undergraduate); 16,211 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $34,554 (in-state); $63,906 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1420
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 48%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#10 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
The Ohio State University — Columbus

The Ohio State University — Columbus

  • Columbus, OH

Academic Highlights: There are 200+ undergraduate majors and 18 schools and colleges housed within OSU. Business sees the greatest percentage of degrees conferred at 18% followed by engineering (15%), health professions (10%), and the social sciences (9%). It makes sense that so many flock to the business and engineering schools as they are among the highest-rated undergraduate programs in their respective disciplines. 40% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and approximately 20% of students gain research experience.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 56% of Class of 2022 graduates were entering the world of employment while 17% were already accepted into graduate or professional school.  Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation’s leading companies. More than 2,000 alumni work for JPMorgan Chase, more than 1,000 are employed by Amazon, and more than 600 work for Google and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU’s own programs.

  • Enrollment: 45,728 (undergraduate); 14,318 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,241 (in-state); $52,747 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1340-1450
  • Median ACT: 29-32
  • Acceptance Rate: 53%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#11 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

  • Minneapolis, MN

Academic Highlights: There are 150 majors available across eight freshman-admitting undergraduate colleges. 65% of class sections enroll 29 or fewer students. The most commonly conferred degrees are in biology (13%), business & marketing (11%), engineering (10%), the social sciences (10%), computer science (9%), and psychology (8%). The College of Science and Engineering and the Carlson School of Management have strong national reputations, and the chemistry, economics, psychology, and political science departments are also well-regarded.

Professional Outcomes: The top seven companies snatching up the largest number of recent grads are all companies headquartered in the state of Minnesota: Medtronic, Target, 3M, United Health Group, US Bank, and Cargill. Google, Apple, and Meta all employ hundreds of Twin Cities alumni. The mean starting salary for recent grads was $50k. With 130 graduate programs in science, art, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and the humanities, the University of Minnesota retains many of its graduates as they pursue their next degrees.

  • Enrollment: 39,248 (undergraduate); 15,707 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $33,032-$35,632 (in-state); $54,446-$57,046
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 75%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#12 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Drexel University

Drexel University

  • Philadelphia, PA

Academic Highlights: There are 80+ undergraduate majors to choose from at Drexel and they offer a reasonable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio with commensurately reasonable class sizes. Fifty-two percent of sections contain 19 or fewer students, and just a sliver under 9% of sections contain fifty or more. Looking at the number of degrees conferred by discipline, the big three at Drexel are business (25%), health professions (21%), and engineering (17%). Visual and performing arts (9%), and CS (8%) round out the list of majors with a sizable representation.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 97%, Dragons have arrived at their next destination; 81% were employed, and 13% had matriculated into graduate or professional school. The largest employers of Drexel alumni are Comcast, Merck, Vanguard, and Johnson & Johnson. The average starting salary for Drexel grads with a full-time job was $64,774. Drexel’s medical school acceptance rate was 60%, roughly 20 points higher than the national average. It offers an accelerated BS/MD program with its own Drexel University College of Medicine.

  • Enrollment: 13,881
  • Cost of Attendance: $81,508
  • Median SAT: 1330
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 80%
  • Retention Rate: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 78%

#13 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
University of Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

  • Cincinnati, OH

Academic Highlights: More than 90 majors await you at the University of Cincinnati and it all unfolds with an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio. There is a mix of small and large class sections: 32% have 19 or fewer students and 20% have 50% or more. The most frequently conferred degrees in 2022 were business (20%), health professions (14%), engineering (12%), biology (7%), the visual arts (7%), and computer science (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Looking at all graduating seniors in 2022, 83% had obtained employment within six months of earning their degree and 13% were continuing their education. The average starting salary earned was $53,761. Hundreds of Bearcat alumni can be found in the offices of GE Aerospace, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati Children’s. Fifth Third Bank, Medpace, Apple, JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services.

  • Enrollment: 29,989
  • Cost of Attendance: $26,456 (In-State); $40,066 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 26
  • Acceptance Rate: 86%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 72%

#14 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Iowa State University

Iowa State University

  • Ames, IA

Academic Highlights: With more than 100 majors available across six undergraduate colleges, Iowa State has no shortage of academic pathways to explore. The student-to-faculty ratio is 19:1, yet, courses are a mix of large and small. 31% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students and 22% enroll more than 50. In terms of sheer popularity, engineering wins the day accounting for 23% of degrees earned in 2022. Business (18%), agricultural fields (10%), biology (5%), and education (5%) also see high volume.

Professional Outcomes: Graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are employed in fairly large numbers by the likes of John Deere, Principal Financial Group, and Amazon. Overall, the most alumni work for Wells Fargo, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, Collins Aerospace, Cargill, and Microsoft. Most remain in Iowa after graduation but many also move to Minnesota, Chicago, California, or Texas. The average starting salary for an engineering grad was $74,716 in 2023.

  • Enrollment: 25,241
  • Cost of Attendance: $24,204 (In-State); $41,390 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 24
  • Acceptance Rate: 90%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 74%

#15 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester Institute of Technology

  • Rochester, NY

Academic Highlights: There are nine undergraduate colleges at RIT, including the top-ranked Gleason College of Engineering and the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. The co-op program is the fourth oldest in the country; most students complete a one- or two-semester paid learning experience. The most popular majors are engineering & engineering technologies (34%), computer and information sciences (20%), visual and performing arts (10%), and business (9%). RIT’s game design program is the best on the East Coast, and programs in film, art, and design are also quite strong.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 95% of recent grads had found employment or a full-time graduate program. Major companies presently employing more than 500 RIT alums include Xerox and Paychex, both with offices in Rochester. Between 200 and 450 employees of IBM, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Amazon, Google, and Cisco were educated at RIT. Starting salary figures vary greatly by major with College of Business grads landing a median starting salary of $63k and computer science majors of $102k right out of school.

  • Enrollment: 13,940 (undergraduate); 2,675 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $75,390
  • Median SAT: 1350
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 67%
  • Retention Rate: 85%
  • Graduation Rate: 74%

#16 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Syracuse University

Syracuse University

  • Syracuse, NY

Academic Highlights: In total, 200+ majors and 100+ minors are spread across ten undergraduate schools/colleges. The School of Architecture, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the Newhouse School of Public Communication are all revered names that carry a good deal of weight in their respective fields. The most popular majors include communication/journalism (15%), the social sciences (14%), and business (12%). Despite Syracuse’s size, class sizes are kept reasonably low; 63% contain 20 students or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after exiting the Carrier Dome for the final time in 2022, 59% of Orangemen and women found employment (92% related to their career goals) and 21% continued to graduate school. The companies employing the most ‘Cuse grads include major media/entertainment management companies like Conde Nast, Bloomberg, and Creative Artists Agency as well as big-name corporations like GE, KPMG, EY, Lockheed Martin, and Morgan Stanley. The average starting salary for 2022 grads was a solid $63k.

  • Enrollment: 15,739 (undergraduate); 7,209 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,214
  • Median SAT: 1340
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 81%

#17 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Arizona State University

Arizona State University

  • Tempe, AZ

Academic Highlights: The faculty-to-student ratio is a fairly high 19:1, but not all classes call for stadium seating. In fact, 40% of course sections seat fewer than twenty students. Business is the concentration in which 22% of total bachelor’s degrees are conferred. Engineering (9%), biology (9%), and the health professions (7%) are the next three most popular. The WP Carey School of Business offers many highly ranked programs as does the Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Professional Outcomes: A healthy 83% percent of ASU graduates looking for work are employed within six months of earning their degrees. The median salary for an ASU grad is roughly $55,000. Among the school’s top fifty employers are Amazon, Apple, Intel, The Vanguard Group, and Walt Disney Company. Approximately one-fifth of recent grads enrolled in graduate school. Similar to employment, the size and scope of the university lead to many graduate pathways. Many grads continue at ASU itself, but some continue at various prestigious institutions.

  • Enrollment: 65,492
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,142 (in-state); $48,284 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1250
  • Median ACT: 23
  • Acceptance Rate: 90%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 69%

#18 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
University of Oregon

University of Oregon

  • Eugene, OR

Academic Highlights: Over 80 degree programs are offered, and students flock in large numbers to the social sciences as 19% of degrees conferred fall under this umbrella. The next most popular academic pursuits are communication/journalism (14%), business (14%), psychology (9%), biology (8%) and the visual and performing arts (7%). The Lundquist College of Business and the College of Education have strong national reputations. The median class size is 20 students (37% contain less than that), and an impressive 80% of undergraduate students engage in some type of research activity.

Professional Outcomes: Members of the Class of 2022 already had their next destination lined up at graduation with 78% already employed or entering graduate school.  For 73% of that group, their outcomes related directly to the degree that they had just completed. More than 1,000 Oregon alumni work for Nike, and hundreds of others occupy offices at Intel, Amazon, Microsoft, Adidas, Google, Apple, and Salesforce. The median starting salary for a 2022 graduate was $51,000.

  • Enrollment: 19,565 (undergraduate); 3,598 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,721 (in-state); $64,302 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 86%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 73%

#19 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
The New School

The New School

  • New York, NY

Academic Highlights: A 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio at the New School allows for 89% of course sections to enroll under 20 students. This means students in all academic programs receive a great deal of personalized instruction and attention. The most popular majors at the New School all fall under the umbrella of the visual arts (62%). A smattering of students also concentrate in computer science (11%), journalism (7%), liberal arts (6%), and English (4%).

Professional Outcomes: Within the first year after earning their bachelor’s degree, 82% of graduates have already found their first employment opportunity or elected to continue their studies. 70% of recent grads entered the working world and another 12% entered an advanced degree program. Employers of 15 or more alumni include the United Nations, JP Morgan and Co., Amazon, The New York Times, Meta, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

  • Enrollment: 7,208
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,668
  • Median SAT: N/A
  • Median ACT: N/A
  • Acceptance Rate: 57%
  • Retention Rate: 71%
  • Graduation Rate: 70%

#20 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Auburn University

Auburn University

  • Auburn, AL

Academic Highlights: The faculty-student ratio is 20:1, but only about 35% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. Overall, undergraduates can choose from over 150 majors across 12 colleges, which include highly regarded business and engineering programs. Majors in architecture, apparel merchandising & design, and interior design receive high marks, as does nursing. In 2022, the greatest number of degrees conferred were in business (24%) followed by engineering (18%), biological/life sciences (10%), and health professions (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 58% of the Class of 2022 were employed full-time, 23% had entered graduate programs. 59% were pursuing master’s degrees, 28% professional degrees, and 4% doctorates. In 2022, the average starting salary was $58,708; engineering graduates enjoyed the highest average starting salary ($71,656). At least ten recent grads can be found at each of Vanderbilt, Emory, Columbia, Georgia Tech, NYU, and Johns Hopkins.

  • Enrollment: 25,379
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,932 (in-state); $49,340 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1320
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 44%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 81%

#21 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University

  • Boone, NC

Academic Highlights: Students can select from 150 bachelor’s degrees and 80 graduate programs at App State. A reasonable 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to 39% of all course sections having fewer than 20 students and just 8% enrolling 50 or more. 20% of all 2022 grads earned their degree in business/marketing followed by health professions (10%), education (9%), parks & recreation (9%), journalism (8%), and psychology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Within one year of graduating, 86% of those surveyed have arrived at their next destination. Undergrads benefit from nine annual career fairs and the 16,000 employers that are approved to recruit on campus. Further, 99% of students find the Career Development Center to be helpful. Alumni go on to work in large numbers for Wells Fargo, Atrium Health, Novant Health, Bank of America, Red Hat, Cisco, and Duke Energy Corporation.

  • Enrollment: 18,558
  • Cost of Attendance: $20,339 (In-State); $37,335 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1180
  • Median ACT: 24
  • Acceptance Rate: 83%
  • Retention Rate: 83%
  • Graduation Rate: 75%

#22 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
James Madison University

James Madison University

  • Harrisonburg, VA

Academic Highlights: JMU offers 75+ undergraduate degrees to a very happy student population; surveyed undergrads report a stunning 93% satisfaction rate. A 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio does not fully capture how generally modest class sizes tend to be at the university. Thirty-seven percent of sections enroll fewer than 19 students and the average class size is 25 students. 19% of all degrees awarded are in nursing. Next in popularity are business/marketing (15%), communication/journalism (9%), and the social sciences (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 75% of 2022 grads had obtained full-time employment, 22% were continuing their education, and 4% were still figuring out their next step. More than 25 recent grads were hired by each of KPMG and Deloitte. Dukes found employment at 1,610 organizations around the world and the average starting salary was $57,615. Among the almost one-quarter of recent grads who matriculated directly into a graduate school program, the most popular location was JMU itself.

  • Enrollment: 20,346
  • Cost of Attendance: $32,248 (In-State); $49,482 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1240
  • Median ACT: 26
  • Acceptance Rate: 78%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 81%

#23 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University

  • Provo, UT

Academic Highlights: Thirteen percent of sections contain more than fifty students. However, those lecture hall courses are balanced with classes of more modest size; 47% of courses have nineteen or fewer students. The areas where the most degrees were conferred in 2022 were business (14%), biology (12%), engineering (8%), health professions (7%), and the social sciences (7%). The programs with the strongest national reputations are those within the Marriott School of Business and, to a slightly lesser extent, the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering.

Professional Outcomes: By a wide margin, the two largest employers of BYU alums are the university itself and the LDS Church. However, there are hundreds of Cougars working at major corporations including Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs. The median salary of a 2022 grad was $62,500. Brigham Young is in the same league with Berkeley, Cornell, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin in terms of producing future PhDs. Over the past decade, more than 3,000 alumni have gone on to earn doctoral degrees.

  • Enrollment: 34,401
  • Cost of Attendance: $23,052 (in-state); $38,076 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1360
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 67%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 78%

#24 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
New Jersey Institute of Technology

New Jersey Institute of Technology

  • Newark, NJ

Academic Highlights: There are 125 undergraduate and graduate majors on the menu at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Sporting a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the school is able to offer 32% of course sections with a cap of 19 students and only 4% enroll more than 50 individuals. Engineering is the most popular major accounting for 40% of all degrees conferred in 2022. Next on the list were computer science (28%), engineering technologies (11%), biology (5%), and business (5%).

Professional Outcomes: Recent grads enjoyed an 85% employment rate within six months of earning their diploma and another 5% entered graduate school; 6% were still searching for their next step. The average starting salary is $67,852. Employers of 200+ alumni include Merck, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Bristol Myers Squibb, Verizon, Johnson & Johnson, Prudential, Citi, Amazon Web Services, Bank of America, and Microsoft.

  • Enrollment: 9,019
  • Cost of Attendance: $41,352 (In-State); $58,264 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1320
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 66%
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 74%

#25 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Wentworth Institute of Technology

Wentworth Institute of Technology

  • Boston, MA

Academic Highlights: There are only 23 majors available at Wentworth and the vast majority, unsurprisingly, are in the STEM realm. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1 and 43% of sections have enrollment of less than 20. Overall, 39% of degrees conferred last year were in engineering, with computer science (20%), business (20%), architecture (11%), and visual and performing arts (8%) next in line.

Professional Outcomes: Class of 2022 outcomes data is most impressive with 95% finding their next step within six months of leaving campus and earning a median salary of $70,720. Companies that employ 40 or more Wentworth Institute of Technology alumni include Suffolk Construction, Raytheon, Turner Construction Company, Gilbane Building Company, Dellbrook, and Wise Construction. Most grads settle in Boston, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York City.

  • Enrollment: 3,713
  • Cost of Attendance: $57,910
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 92$
  • Retention Rate: 82%
  • Graduation Rate: 69%

#26 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
University of Houston

University of Houston

  • Houston, TX

Academic Highlights: Nearly 100 undergraduate majors are offered across 11 different colleges. Programs within the College of Business and College of Engineering are particularly strong, especially petroleum engineering, entrepreneurship, and marketing. The most degrees are conferred in business/management/marketing (28%), psychology (7%), computer science (7%), engineering (7%), biological sciences (7%), and social sciences (6%). 34% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students, and

Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 29% of recent grads had already accepted a full-time position and 11% had been accepted to graduate school. For those who entered the workforce, top employers were Houston ISD (as well as several other school systems), JPMorgan Chase, Houston Methodist, and Walgreens. Of those continuing their education, the highest percentage stayed at the University of Houston followed by the University of Texas, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M, Texas Woman’s University, and Rice.

  • Enrollment: 37,946 (undergraduate); 8,730 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $24,268 (in-state); $39,868 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1230
  • Median ACT: 25
  • Acceptance Rate: 70%
  • Retention Rate: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 65%

#27 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Chicago, IL

Academic Highlights: Undergrads pursue one of 95 bachelor’s programs offered through the 11 (of 16) colleges that grant undergraduate degrees. The most popular majors are business/marketing (16%), health professions (13%), and engineering (13%) followed by biology (12%), psychology (9%), and the social sciences (5%). The business, engineering, and computer science programs all have a solid national reputation. Close to two-thirds of classes enroll fewer than 29 students.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 had a 97% success rate six months after graduation, with 14% enrolling directly in graduate school. Students on the engineering, applied sciences, and public health tracks found employment or a graduate school home at the highest rates. By volume, the largest employer of UIC grads is Chicago Public Schools. More than 100 alumni can also be found employed by Allstate, Amazon, Accenture, Microsoft, IBM, Google, Deloitte, and Meta. The average salary for a 2022 grad was a solid $64k.

 

  • Enrollment: 21,807 (undergraduate); 11,940 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $37,572-$40,986 (in-state); $53,118-56,532 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 79%
  • Retention Rate: 78%
  • Graduation Rate: 62%

#28 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
San Jose State University

San Jose State University

  • San Jose, CA

Academic Highlights: With over 150 undergraduate majors, San Jose State offers a wide variety of programs across eight colleges, including the highly ranked Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering. In particular, its programs in computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering are very strong. Popularity-wise, the most degrees are conferred in business/management/marketing (24%), engineering (12%), psychology (8%), communication/journalism (7%), social sciences (7%), visual/performing arts (7%), and health professions (7%).

Professional Outcomes: 90% of the Class of 2022 experienced positive outcomes, with 85% employed and 5% continuing their education. For those employed, the average starting salary was $77k. SJSU alumni go on to Silicon Valley tech firms in large numbers, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Cisco. Other popular employers include San Jose State itself, Deloitte, the City of San Jose, and Stanford. Those continuing their education most often did so in education, law, social work, or health professions; the vast majority elected to stay at San Jose State.

  • Enrollment: 27,111 (undergraduate); 8,951 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $32,308 (in-state); $44,188 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1190
  • Median ACT: 25
  • Acceptance Rate: 80%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 64%

#29 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
DePaul University

DePaul University

  • Chicago, IL

Academic Highlights: There are more than 300 undergraduate majors and graduate programs at the nation’s largest Catholic research university. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1 and 42% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students. A hefty 32% of all degrees awarded in 2022 were in the discipline of business/marketing. The next most popular areas of study were the visual and performing arts (13%), journalism (11%), and computer science (10%). The University rates well in the areas of overall value and facilitating social mobility.

Professional Outcomes: 92% of 2022 graduates found their next positive step in life within six months of being awarded their diploma. 81% were employed earning a modest median salary of $45,000. Sample employers included Epic. Xerox Business Solutions, UBS, KPMG, and a number of nonprofit entities. Less than 10% of DePaul graduates directly enter graduate or professional school right after completing their undergraduate education.

  • Enrollment: 14,134
  • Cost of Attendance: $66,798
  • Median SAT: 1190
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 70%
  • Retention Rate: 84%
  • Graduation Rate: 69%

#30 Best College for Industrial & Product Design
Thomas Jefferson University

Thomas Jefferson University

  • Philadelphia, PA

Academic Highlights: Offering 160+ undergraduate and graduate degrees combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. Sporting an excellent 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, this private university keeps 59% of its class sections at under 20 students. 30% of all degrees conferred are for registered nursing, followed by family practice nursing (12%), health services (12%), allied health diagnostic (6%), architectural technology (4%), and fashion merchandising (4%).

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after earning their undergraduate degrees, 60% of recent alumni had already found their first job and 37% were pursuing an advanced degree. The top employers included JP Morgan Chase & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Fox Chase Cancer Center, BLT Architects, and Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Graduate school enrollments included Hofstra, Temple School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, UPenn, and Penn State.

  • Enrollment: 3,771
  • Cost of Attendance: $60,889
  • Median SAT: 1210
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 87%
  • Retention Rate: 82%
  • Graduation Rate: 68%

We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Industrial Design and Product Design to be useful and informative as you continue your college search process. We also invite you to check out some of our other resources and tools including: