Wheaton, Illinois has 3 accredited schools offering industrial design programs, with tuition ranging from $43,743 to $53,528 per year for indexed programs. Wheaton has a population of about 53,453. Median household income is $119,566 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $163,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Industrial Design Schools to Wheaton
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Wheaton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Wheaton city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Wheaton.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,740
Avg net price
$10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 140
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,751
Avg net price
$30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 166
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois industrial design page.
Industrial Design Wages Near Wheaton
Wheaton is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Commercial and Industrial Designers |
$112,950 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$109,025 |
| Industrial Engineers |
$101,760 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$98,224 |
| Graphic Designers |
$66,490 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$64,180 |
| Mechanical Drafters |
$72,540 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$70,019 |
| Interior Designers |
$76,570 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$73,909 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers |
$163,430 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$157,751 |
| Set and Exhibit Designers |
N/A |
IL statewide |
– |
| Mechanical Engineers |
$102,070 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$98,523 |
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.
Wheaton at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
53,453 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$119,566 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
64.1% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
103.6 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Wheaton-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs
- Glen Ellyn, IL – 2.4 mi away (28,042 pop)
- Carol Stream, IL – 4.5 mi away (40,069 pop)
- Lisle, IL – 4.5 mi away (22,930 pop)
- Glendale Heights, IL – 4.7 mi away (34,145 pop)
- Lombard, IL – 4.9 mi away (43,815 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited industrial design schools are near Wheaton, IL?
Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Wheaton. The closest is University of Illinois Chicago in Chicago, IL (23.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (81.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Wheaton?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Wheaton are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($163,430), Commercial and Industrial Designers ($112,950), Mechanical Engineers ($102,070). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Glen Ellyn instead of Wheaton?
Glen Ellyn, IL is 2.4 miles from Wheaton 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 Wheaton an affordable place to study industrial design?
Wheaton’s median household income of $119,566 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wheaton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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
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- Counseling programs in Wheaton, IL
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.
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