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Best Industrial Design Schools Near Benton, AR (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Benton, Arkansas is home to about 35,954 residents. Median household income is $69,638 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $148,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Industrial Design Schools to Benton
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Benton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Benton city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
Benton is part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area (BLS area code 30780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers
$92,540
AR statewide
$103,512
Industrial Engineers
$101,590
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
$113,635
Graphic Designers
$46,620
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
$52,148
Mechanical Drafters
$59,850
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
$66,946
Interior Designers
$62,700
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
$70,134
Architectural and Engineering Managers
$148,930
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
$166,588
Set and Exhibit Designers
$38,700
AR statewide
$43,289
Mechanical Engineers
$93,800
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
$104,922
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Benton at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
35,954
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$69,638
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
28.6%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
89.4 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Benton-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs
What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Benton?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Benton are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($148,930), Industrial Engineers ($101,590), Mechanical Engineers ($93,800). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Bryant instead of Benton?
Bryant, AR is 5.3 miles from Benton and has its own set of local industrial design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Benton an affordable place to study industrial design?
Benton’s median household income of $69,638 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Benton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Data verified: September 5, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.