Kalamazoo, Michigan has 4 accredited schools offering industrial design programs. Kalamazoo has a population of about 73,132. Median household income is $48,965 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $149,030 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Industrial Design Schools to Kalamazoo
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Kalamazoo, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,562
Avg net price
$15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 188
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Michigan schools on the Michigan industrial design page.
Industrial Design Wages Near Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area (BLS area code 28020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Commercial and Industrial Designers |
$80,150 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
$84,546 |
| Industrial Engineers |
$97,250 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
$102,584 |
| Graphic Designers |
$57,820 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
$60,992 |
| Mechanical Drafters |
$72,940 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
$76,941 |
| Interior Designers |
$59,820 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
$63,101 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers |
$149,030 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
$157,205 |
| Set and Exhibit Designers |
$50,910 |
MI statewide |
$53,703 |
| Mechanical Engineers |
$101,830 |
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
$107,416 |
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.
Kalamazoo at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
73,132 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$48,965 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
37.1% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
94.8 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Kalamazoo-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs
- Portage, MI – 5.2 mi away (48,508 pop)
- Battle Creek, MI – 18.4 mi away (77,174 pop)
- Kentwood, MI – 42.2 mi away (51,689 pop)
- Holland, MI – 42.8 mi away (101,421 pop)
- Wyoming, MI – 43.0 mi away (75,567 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited industrial design schools are near Kalamazoo, MI?
Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Kalamazoo. The closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ferris State University (97.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Kalamazoo?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Kalamazoo are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($149,030), Mechanical Engineers ($101,830), Industrial Engineers ($97,250). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Portage instead of Kalamazoo?
Portage, MI is 5.2 miles from Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo an affordable place to study industrial design?
Kalamazoo’s median household income of $48,965 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kalamazoo while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Kalamazoo
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Kalamazoo:
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- Health Science programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Entrepreneurship programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Interior Design programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Photography programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Sustainability Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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- Journalism programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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- Technical Communication programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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- Hospitality Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- International Business programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Organizational Leadership programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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- Nonprofit Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Operations Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Public Administration programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Real Estate programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Recreation Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Retail Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Risk Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Statistics programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Taxation programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Corrections programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Crime Analysis programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Criminology programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Cybercrime programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Emergency Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Fire Science programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Forensic Science programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Legal Services programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Legal Studies programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Paralegal programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Security Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Cloud Computing programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Computer Engineering programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Innovation programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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- Software Development programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- User Experience programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Web Development programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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- Supply Chain Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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- Marketing programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Finance programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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- Sports Management programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Early Childhood Education programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Elementary Education programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Biology programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Communications programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Graphic Design programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Human Services programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- MBA programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Criminal Justice programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Nursing programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Business Administration programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Computer Science programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Psychology programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Education programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Engineering programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Technology programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Liberal Arts programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Healthcare programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Cybersecurity programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Accounting programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Healthcare Administration programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Social Work programs in Kalamazoo, MI
- Counseling programs in Kalamazoo, MI
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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