Best Industrial Design Schools Near Niagara Falls, NY (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Niagara Falls, New York has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Niagara Falls has a population of about 48,198. Median household income is $48,535 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $164,120 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Niagara Falls

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Niagara Falls, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Niagara Falls 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 Niagara Falls. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY 67.7 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,571
Avg net price $34,906/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 128

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 145.5 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 186

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY 304.6 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,696
Avg net price $19,095/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The New School

New York, NY 305.0 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,901
Avg net price $58,741/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

CUNY LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, NY 307.3 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,653
Avg net price $6,120/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pratt Institute-Main

Brooklyn, NY 308.1 miles from Niagara Falls
  • 4 year
50.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,295
Avg net price $52,659/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Industrial Design Wages Near Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is part of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area (BLS area code 15380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $78,360 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $81,795
Industrial Engineers $101,260 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $105,699
Graphic Designers $60,000 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $62,630
Mechanical Drafters $71,920 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $75,073
Interior Designers $56,420 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $58,894
Architectural and Engineering Managers $164,120 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $171,315
Set and Exhibit Designers N/A NY statewide –
Mechanical Engineers $97,200 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $101,461

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.

Niagara Falls at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 48,198 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,535 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Niagara Falls-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Niagara Falls, NY?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Niagara Falls. The closest is Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY (67.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rochester Institute of Technology (67.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near Niagara Falls?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Niagara Falls are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($164,120), Industrial Engineers ($101,260), Mechanical Engineers ($97,200). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Tonawanda instead of Niagara Falls?

North Tonawanda, NY is 8.2 miles from Niagara Falls 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 Niagara Falls an affordable place to study industrial design?

Niagara Falls’s median household income of $48,535 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Niagara Falls while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Niagara Falls

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

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.

Back to Best Industrial Design Schools in New York (2026)