Best Industrial Design Schools Near Hickory, NC (2026)

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

Hickory, North Carolina has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Hickory has a population of about 43,747. Median household income is $63,361 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $170,730 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Hickory

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer industrial design programs near Hickory, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hickory 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 Hickory. 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 38.3 miles from Hickory
  • 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 148.5 miles from Hickory
  • 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 Hickory

Hickory is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area (BLS area code 25860). 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 $62,990 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $71,175
Industrial Engineers $86,640 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $97,898
Graphic Designers $50,540 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $57,107
Mechanical Drafters $47,570 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $53,751
Interior Designers $60,250 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $68,079
Architectural and Engineering Managers $170,730 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $192,915
Set and Exhibit Designers $49,410 NC statewide $55,831
Mechanical Engineers $89,960 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $101,650

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.

Hickory at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 43,747 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,361 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Hickory-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Hickory. The closest is Appalachian State University in Boone, NC (38.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Appalachian State University (38.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Hickory are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($170,730), Mechanical Engineers ($89,960), Industrial Engineers ($86,640). 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 Lincolnton instead of Hickory?

Lincolnton, NC is 19.1 miles from Hickory 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 Hickory an affordable place to study industrial design?

Hickory’s median household income of $63,361 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hickory 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 Hickory

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

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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