Best Industrial Design Schools Near State College, PA (2026)

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

State College, Pennsylvania has 1 accredited school offering industrial design programs. State College has a population of about 40,669. Median household income is $47,132 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the State College, PA metro area, the top-earning industrial design-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $150,520 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Industrial Design Schools to State College

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

Pennsylvania College of Technology

Williamsport, PA 53.1 miles from State College
  • 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

#2

Community College of Allegheny County

Pittsburgh, PA 115.8 miles from State College
  • 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

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#3

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, PA 140.8 miles from State College
  • 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 State College

State College is part of the State College, PA metro area (BLS area code 44300). 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 $85,341
Industrial Engineers $88,690 State College, PA $91,622
Graphic Designers $58,340 State College, PA $60,269
Mechanical Drafters $63,480 PA statewide $65,579
Interior Designers $62,400 PA statewide $64,463
Architectural and Engineering Managers $150,520 State College, PA $155,496
Set and Exhibit Designers $59,670 PA statewide $61,643
Mechanical Engineers $90,530 State College, PA $93,523

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.

State College at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,669 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,132 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 70.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other State College-Area Cities With Industrial Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited industrial design schools are near State College, PA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering industrial design programs near State College. The closest is Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA (53.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pennsylvania College of Technology (53.1 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying industrial design roles near State College?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying industrial design-related roles near State College are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($150,520), Mechanical Engineers ($90,530), Industrial Engineers ($88,690). 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 Lewistown instead of State College?

Lewistown, PA is 20.0 miles from State College 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 State College an affordable place to study industrial design?

State College’s median household income of $47,132 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in State College 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 State College

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

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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