Best Industrial Design Schools Near Washington, DC (2026)

Washington, District of Columbia has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Washington has a population of about 672,079. Median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $185,220 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Industrial Design Schools to Washington

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Washington, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Washington city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all District of Columbia schools on the District of Columbia industrial design page.


Industrial Design Wages Near Washington

Washington is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to District of Columbia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $85,660 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $78,659
Industrial Engineers $117,600 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $107,989
Graphic Designers $85,420 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $78,439
Mechanical Drafters $76,600 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $70,340
Interior Designers $79,590 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $73,085
Architectural and Engineering Managers $185,220 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $170,083
Set and Exhibit Designers $82,960 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $76,180
Mechanical Engineers $126,990 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $116,612

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.


Washington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 672,079 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $106,287 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 63.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Washington-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Washington, DC?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Washington. The closest is Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD (35.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Maryland Institute College of Art (35.1 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Washington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Washington are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($185,220), Mechanical Engineers ($126,990), Industrial Engineers ($117,600). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with District of Columbia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Alexandria instead of Washington?

Alexandria, VA is 7.0 miles from Washington 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 Washington an affordable place to study industrial design?

Washington’s median household income of $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Washington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and District of Columbia 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.


Learn More About Industrial Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Washington

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Washington:

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.