Best Industrial Design Schools Near Gaithersburg, MD (2026)

Gaithersburg, Maryland has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Gaithersburg has a population of about 69,225. Median household income is $107,496 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.4% 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 Gaithersburg

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Gaithersburg, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gaithersburg 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:

  • 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 Gaithersburg. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Maryland Institute College of Art

Baltimore, MD 33.9 miles from Gaithersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,212
Avg net price $42,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Industrial Design Wages Near Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg 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 Maryland 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.


Gaithersburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 69,225 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $107,496 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 52.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Gaithersburg-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Gaithersburg, MD?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Gaithersburg. The closest is Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD (33.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Maryland Institute College of Art (33.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

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

Should I look at programs in Rockville instead of Gaithersburg?

Rockville, MD is 4.7 miles from Gaithersburg 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 Gaithersburg an affordable place to study industrial design?

Gaithersburg’s median household income of $107,496 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gaithersburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland 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 Gaithersburg

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.