Best Industrial Design Schools Near Charlotte, NC (2026)

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

Charlotte, North Carolina has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Charlotte has a population of about 886,283. Median household income is $78,438 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $169,960 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Charlotte

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

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 84.4 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 127.7 miles from Charlotte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Industrial Design Wages Near Charlotte

Charlotte is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $83,770 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $86,095
Industrial Engineers $102,090 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $104,923
Graphic Designers $59,810 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $61,470
Mechanical Drafters $62,890 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $64,635
Interior Designers $64,370 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $66,156
Architectural and Engineering Managers $169,960 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $174,676
Set and Exhibit Designers $49,410 NC statewide $50,781
Mechanical Engineers $101,950 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $104,779

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.

Charlotte at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 886,283 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $78,438 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 47.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Charlotte-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Charlotte, NC?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Charlotte. The closest is Appalachian State University in Boone, NC (84.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (84.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Charlotte are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($169,960), Industrial Engineers ($102,090), Mechanical Engineers ($101,950). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Matthews instead of Charlotte?

Matthews, NC is 9.2 miles from Charlotte 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 Charlotte an affordable place to study industrial design?

Charlotte’s median household income of $78,438 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charlotte while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Charlotte

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

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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