Best Industrial Design Schools Near Erie, PA (2026)

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

Erie, Pennsylvania has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. Erie has a population of about 94,156. Median household income is $43,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Erie, PA metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $149,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to Erie

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

Community College of Allegheny County

Pittsburgh, PA 115.1 miles from Erie
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,449
Avg net price $13,970/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pennsylvania College of Technology

Williamsport, PA 168.8 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,567
Avg net price $25,110/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, PA 264.8 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,148
Avg net price $18,134/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Industrial Design Wages Near Erie

Erie is part of the Erie, PA metro area (BLS area code 21500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Commercial and Industrial Designers $82,610 PA statewide $90,780
Industrial Engineers $86,430 Erie, PA $94,978
Graphic Designers $54,940 Erie, PA $60,374
Mechanical Drafters $57,970 Erie, PA $63,703
Interior Designers $62,400 PA statewide $68,571
Architectural and Engineering Managers $149,380 Erie, PA $164,154
Set and Exhibit Designers $59,670 PA statewide $65,571
Mechanical Engineers $106,890 Erie, PA $117,462

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.

Erie at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,156 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,397 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Erie-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near Erie, PA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near Erie. The closest is Cleveland Institute of Art in Cleveland, OH (89.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cleveland Institute of Art (89.2 miles).

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near Erie are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($149,380), Mechanical Engineers ($106,890), Industrial Engineers ($86,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Meadville instead of Erie?

Meadville, PA is 32.6 miles from Erie 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 Erie an affordable place to study industrial design?

Erie’s median household income of $43,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Erie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Erie

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

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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